Q - What's the French reaction to the outgoing Iranian president's statement that his country will resume nuclear reprocessing [conversion] activities in spite of any European agreement?

France, Germany and the United Kingdom, with the support of the secretary-general, the high representative of the European Union, have been engaged for two years now in a process to resolve the nuclear proliferation crisis started by Iran.

The E3/EU pledged in Geneva on May 25 to present Iran with a package of proposals in early August in the political, economic, technological and nuclear fields. We are determined to keep this promise. Our offer will open up the prospect of a new relationship between Iran and Europe.

As the G8 heads of state and government recalled, our objective is to obtain from Iran objective guarantees as to the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear program. Iran must also cooperate fully with the IAEA and reply to its requests for information and access in order to resolve the questions still pending relating to its nuclear program.

The negotiations were pursued in the context of the Paris Agreement reached on November 15. The complete, verified, and good faith maintenance of suspension of all dangerous activities linked to the production of fissile materials is the essential condition for continuing this process. We call on Iran to comply in full with the Paris agreement.

Iran knows the consequences if it resumes activities that have been suspended until now, which could only be negative for Iraq.

As President Chirac said, we don't know what the result of the current process will be. We hope it ends favorably and eliminates the danger of proliferation.