NUCLEAR PROGRAM:

IRAN REJECTS WEST’S OFFER

We have to move quickly to substantive work that secures concrete action from the Iranians that does not take long to set up. To put it mildly we were not starting from the same place.

WESTERN DIPLOMAT

PRESENT AT NEGOTIATIONS

BAGHDAD — Iran failed to reach agreement with the world’s six leading powers over the most critical part of its nuclear stockpile Thursday after a second day of negotiations in Baghdad.

The talks had been viewed as a crucial opportunity to reduce international tensions over Iran’s reserve of uranium enriched to 20 per cent purity — the level from which it could quickly produce material for a nuclear weapon.

However, they broke up with no agreement except to meet again next month. Diplomats said the fact that detailed discussion of key issues had taken place at all amounted to progress in itself, but there was little sign of any deal.

The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — America, Britain, France, Russia and China — and Germany, had proposed that Iran hand over its stockpile of 20 per cent enriched uranium in return for discussions to ease international sanctions.

Catherine Ashton, the European Union’s high representative for foreign affairs, who chaired the group, said that while Iran had been willing to “address” the question over its 20 per cent enriched uranium, “significant differences” remained.

“We have found some common ground,” she said. “We remain resolved to resolve this problem in the near- term though negotiations.”

But the talks coincided with the disclosure that Iran has increased the number of centrifuges inside its newest nuclear facility by almost half since February. A report from the International Atomic Energy Agency is expected to say that about 1,000 machines for enriching uranium are installed inside the Fordow plant compared with 696 three months ago. This evidence that Iran is steadily increasing its enrichment capacity will heighten concerns that its real purpose is to play for time while it expands its nuclear program.

Ashton proposed that in return for suspending its production of uranium enriched to 20 per cent and relinquishing its stockpile, some measures taken against Iran’s economy would be eased. The possibilities included lifting a U. S. embargo on the sale of spare parts for civil airliners and suspending a ban on the provision of insurance for Iranian oil shipments.

But Saeed Jalili, the Iranian chief negotiator, argued for the wholesale suspension of economic sanctions before Tehran would consider any concessions and said it was Iran’s “right” to pursue nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

However, he offered a measure of compromise on 20 per cent material, adding: “In this negotiation we reiterated that the right of Iran could not be denied. There is an issue of cooperation and in this [ 20 per cent enriched] issue there could be technical cooperation.”

Iran’s stockpile of uranium enriched to 20 per cent purity is supposedly needed for a civilian research reactor in Tehran. It brings Iran a vital step closer to producing uranium at the 90 per cent purity required for nuclear weapons.

Most of Iran’s stockpile is enriched to the level of 3.5 per cent required for nuclear power stations — and that material was not covered by the Baghdad proposals.

Ashton’s suggestion was designed to build confidence by starting with the smallest component of Iran’s reserves of uranium.

But Iranian officials briefed that her proposals offered no “concrete” concessions to Tehran and amounted to time wasting after the previous talks in Istanbul last month. “This is not a serious extension of what we discussed in Istanbul that offered step- bystep progress,” said one member of the Iranian delegation.

Jalili made a five- point counterproposal, described by the Iranian state media as “comprehensive” with “transparent and practical” measures. But Western officials said that defining exactly what this meant had proved difficult. “It was a tough day that involved a lot of work trying to clarify the Iranian responses and set up a followup process,” said one diplomat.

“We have to move quickly to substantive work that secures concrete action from the Iranians that does not take long to set up. To put it mildly we were not starting from the same place.”

The two sides agreed to meet again in Moscow on June 18.