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UK hopeful of new impetus to resolve Iran nuclear dispute

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

London, Apr 9, IRNA – The British Foreign Office is hopeful that the “new direction” of US policy under President Barack Obama towards Iran will help to break the logjam and lead to progress to resolve the dispute over the country’s civilian programme.

“The US reiteration of the importance of pursuing a diplomatic solution through the dual track approach; and its commitment to be directly involved in future E3+3 meetings with representatives of the Islamic Republic of Iran has the potential to give renewed impetus to international efforts on the nuclear file,” said Foreign Office spokesman Barry Marston.

“In the medium term, the US's readiness for direct engagement with Iran presents the opportunity for a transformed relationship between Iran and the US. These are prospects which Britain strongly welcomes,” Marston told IRNA.

The senior spokesman was speaking after the latest E3+3 meeting in London on Wednesday that asked EU High Representative Dr Javier Solana to invite to the Iranian Government for a meeting “so that together we may find a diplomatic solution to this critical issue.”

He confirmed reports that the E3+3 would be “definitely” seeking early meeting, perhaps within weeks, for preliminary discussions without conditions that could lead to “full talks.”

“All members of the E3+3 stressed the importance of acting quickly to give renewed momentum to diplomatic activity,” Marston said. He also mentioned that the offers of "freeze for freeze" and "suspension for suspension" still stand.

“Full talks would follow Iran's suspension of its enrichment and reprocessing capacity, paving the way for action on the E3+3 proposals for assisting Iran in its development of such a peaceful programme, as well as a transformed economic and political relationship between Iran and the international community,” he said.

The Foreign Office spokesman also reiterated Britain’s arguments that the “benefits of cooperation are potentially huge for ordinary Iranians.”

“From a purely economic perspective, Iran is far from fulfilling its substantial potential in encouraging the investment and trade which could generate wealth and create employment for a young and well-educated population,” he said.

“The EU and the US would strongly welcome overcoming the current stand-off, which would allow us to engage in broad-based relations with the Iranian nation,” he also added.

Asked by IRNA whether Britain was optimistic that the more conciliatory approach adopted under Obama would prove successful, Marston insisted that “the ball is in the Iranian Government's court.”

“There is a window of opportunity here and we strongly encourage the Iranian government to take advantage of it. Talks will go nowhere if the Iranian side is unwilling to be responsive and flexible,” he said.

“There are only grounds for optimism if the Iranian Government is willing to take the courageous step of positively responding to President Obama's clear message of a readiness for a new phase of addressing the lack of trust on both sides and demonstrating on the nuclear file and other important issues that it is willing to work within the framework and rules of the international community.”

The Foreign Office spokesman said that as far as the E3+3 were concerned, the “ideal solution would be reaching a satisfactory resolution for all sides without having to take further measures.”

Although he said that there were “no firm plans” for British Foreign Secretary David Miliband to take up his invitation to visit Tehran, he believed that if the current efforts make progress “all possibilities are open.”

“Recently the Foreign Secretary made the first visit of its kind in years to Syria as a result of the increasingly positive Syrian role in working constructively towards peace in the region,” Marston pointed out.

“Our vision is for an Iran which lives up to its cultural and historic legacy of being a beacon for the arts, sciences and progress in the region and is once again playing a full and beneficial role on the regional and global stage,” he said.