EU urges Iran to 'grasp hand extended to it'
The European Union today urged Iran to “grasp the hand extended to it” and return to international negotiations on its suspect nuclear programme.
In a statement issued in Vienna by foreign minister Ursula Plassnik of Austria, which holds the EU’s rotating presidency, the 25-nation bloc said a resumption of talks “could also facilitate the development of a perspective for the future after decades of ’non-relations’ between Iran and the United States”.
“Iran should grasp the hand extended to it and return to the negotiating table,” Plassnik said.
Yesterday, the US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China said they were ready to offer Iran a package deal that would include new rewards if the Tehran regime agreed to give up suspect nuclear activities or punishment if it refuses.
“We have never denied Iran the right to a nuclear programme that exclusively serves the purpose of generating energy,” Plassnik said.
“However, this requires Iran to restore the necessary basis of trust and provide convincing guarantees of the transparency and verifiability of its programme.”
