Europe

Europe

France proposes new sanctions against Iran on nuclear concerns

22 November 2011 00:45 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. France on Monday called on its western partners and the European Union (EU) to jointly take new sanctions against Iran to force it to negotiation on its nuclear issue, APA reports quoting Xinhua.

France regarded Iran’s nuclear program an "unacceptable threat" to the region and the whole world, the Elysee Palace said in a statement.

France had written a letter to state leaders and governments of Germany, Canada, the United States, Japan and Britain and the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission on the issue, the statement said.

It called for "new sanctions of an unprecedented scale, to convince Iran that it must negotiate" and accordingly proposed to the EU and other partners voluntarily "to take decision like: presently freeze the assets of the Central Bank of Iran and halt purchases of Iranian oil."

France said it wanted Iran to "immediately suspend all its nuclear and missile activities prohibited by the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), by resolutions of the Security Council and the IAEA (the International Atomic Energy Agency) board, and to shed light on its nuclear program, to take full cooperation with the IAEA Director-General."

But it also added that "if Iran wants a negotiation in good faith, as our countries have always wished to know, it is possible."

The 35-member IAEA board adopted a resolution Friday on Iran’s disputed nuclear program, voicing "deep and increasing concern" over the country’s nuclear issue.

The UN atomic watchdog said it was "essential" for Iran and the IAEA to "intensify their dialogue," stressing "continuing support for a diplomatic solution" to the issue.

A recent report on Iran’s nuclear program says the country has engaged in nuclear weapon-related research activities while falling short of concluding that Iran is currently attempting to develop such weapon.

In response, Iran dismissed the findings in the IAEA report as fabricated by Western countries and insisted the country’s nuclear activities are purely for peaceful purposes.