Q. - On 31 August Iran failed to heed a new "deadline" set by the West. Is there still a point in negotiating?

THE MINISTER - Admittedly, Iran didn't respond satisfactorily to the proposal the Security Council's five permanent members and Germany made to her on 6 June. In particular, she hasn't suspended her sensitive nuclear activities. UNSCR 1696, passed on 31 July by the vast majority of the Security Council, under French presidency, demanded the complete suspension of sensitive nuclear activities, including uranium enrichment. In all this, Iran isn't providing the necessary transparency.

Q. - What's the UN's objective?

THE MINISTER - To get Iran to comply with the IAEA and Security Council's demands. We're in a consulting phase looking at what to do next. UNSCR 1696 provides for the possibility of sanctions on the basis of article 41 of the United Nations Charter. Their adoption presupposes a new resolution.

Q. - 31 August was only a stage?

THE MINISTER - On 31 August, a report by Mohamed El Baradei, Director General of the IAEA, confirmed that Iran hasn't complied with the resolution. The report was requested in a United Nations resolution. So it was a necessary stage, but not enough.

Q. - And now?

THE MINISTER - Whilst pursuing the discussions for the adoption of a new resolution, we need to maintain the dialogue with Tehran. This is the policy pursued by France and our European partners. It's also very important to maintain the international community's unity. If one or even two of the permanent members of the Security Council were not to be party to the dialogue and if on either side there were an increased desire for confrontation, the international community would split.

Q. - But can we really start this dialogue?

THE MINISTER - If everyone shows a sense of responsibility, we can find solutions. However, this dialogue has to be sincere and concrete. The Middle East needs stability. France expects Iran to participate in this collective effort to promote peace.

Q. - The priority given to dialogue and unity prohibits any sanctions, so Iran is pursuing her enrichment program...

THE MINISTER - In any case, if the international community became divided, Iran would continue. This is what some in Tehran are waiting for in order to call the current non-proliferation regime into question. From the outset, France's objective has been to combine firmness and dialogue, which involves working with our German and British partners, consulting the other 22 member of the European Union and seeking an agreement with Russia, China and the United States. In this office, on 12 July, Ms Condoleezza Rice and Mrs Beckett, Messrs Lavrov and Steinmeier, the Chinese representative and I agreed on the possible recourse to article 41 of chapter 7 of the United Nations Charter, i.e. recourse to sanctions. We were united.

Q. - The Iranians are also saying that they want to negotiate...

THE MINISTER - That's fine, but I nevertheless see some ambiguity. There's no suspension and President Ahmadinejad has just opened a heavy water production plant!

. . .