Q: Do you have any comments following the latest Iranian statements, which are very restrictive, on Russia's offer to enrich uranium in Russia. This morning Teheran announced it was resuming certain research activities on nuclear fuel which were suspended two years ago. And all this in the context of the talks resuming in Vienna in January. I'd like your comments on this.

A: As you'll remember, there was a working meeting with the Iranians in Vienna on December 21 at the level of high-ranking officials. The point was to re-establish contact so as to exchange views on exploring the possibility of relaunching the discussions. The European position is well known. It is up to the Iranians to adopt a constructive attitude and to make the necessary gestures to establish confidence.

Russia put forward some interesting ideas a few weeks ago. These Russian ideas are in line with Europe's proposals, that is, they meet the concerns of the international community in terms of proliferation and at the same time they give Iran the means to develop a peaceful nuclear program. So we consider time is short now, and that it is up to Iran to take the necessary decisions to relaunch a process of negotiations.

As for the specific point you mentioned, which I heard about this morning, about the resumption of certain research activities, I refer you to what the Europeans said after the December 21 meeting. We're asking Iran to take into account all the concerns voiced by the IAEA board of governors. We would like Iran to abide by the suspension of all enrichment and reprocessing activities as agreed in November 2004, which include centrifuges and research activities.

Q: The Iranians are manifestly reading the Russian proposals as saying that the uranium enrichment might be done in Russia but that the Iranians would keep control over the uranium cycle in Iran. So they see the Russian proposals as complementing their right to enrich uranium, not as an alternative. Is that reading right?

A: To judge from certain indications, contacts are planned between the Russians and Iranians. These are points which the Russians themselves can discuss with the Iranians. One of the key points in the Russian proposal is precisely that enrichment activities would not take place on Iranian territory and from that point of view we would have the objective guarantee we want that the Iranian nuclear program really is for peaceful uses. So that brings us back to this objective guarantee on the peaceful use of the nuclear program and how to get this objective guarantee. The Russians can, in our view, contribute to this.