Q: Iran announced on Wednesday that its decision to resume sensitive activities shortly was irreversible and not negotiable in spite of appeals by the IAEA, France and the United States to maintain the suspension. In the circumstances will France continue to be part of the European troika in the discussions due to be held with Iran in Vienna on January 18?
A: Iran's announcement of its intention to resume what the AEOI (Atomic Energy Organization of Iran) has called research and development activities, so far suspended, is very troubling.
We recall that the IAEA board of governors called the maintenance of full suspension of all enrichment and reprocessing-related activities an essential confidence-building measure while all doubts about the objectives of the Iranian nuclear program persist.
We firmly call on Iran to retract this announcement which, if carried out, would clearly run counter to the demands of the IAEA board of governors, expressed in particular in its resolutions of August and September 2005, and place in serious doubt the continuation of discussions started in Vienna with the EU3/EU on December 21.