[Please note that only the original French text issued by the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs may be considered official.]

I will read the communiqué issued by Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy about Iran on Saturday:

"I welcome this evening's unanimous adoption of Resolution 1737 by the Security Council in New York."

"In accordance with its previous commitments, the Security Council is imposing sanctions on Iran following Teheran's refusal to suspend sensitive nuclear activities in the areas of enrichment and reprocessing."

"The measures decided on this evening by the Security Council aim to prevent any further foreign contribution, in any form whatsoever, to sensitive nuclear and ballistic activities by Iran. The resolution also imposes financial sanctions on the bodies and individuals responsible for these activities. Finally, the resolution strengthens the IAEA's powers in its verification efforts."

"Today our objective remains, more than ever, to convince Iran to comply with its international commitments. With this resolution, the Security Council offers Iran a clear choice: to cooperate with the international community or to pursue its enrichment and reprocessing activities at the risk of increased isolation."

"I invite the Iranian authorities to choose dialogue and to return to the negotiating table. For its part, France will spare no effort to allow the path of dialogue to prevail. "

Q - What are the prospects for the Iranian issue after SCR 1737?

A - As you saw, the resolution was adopted on Saturday unanimously. I think that's important because it really does emphasize the unity of the international community in this dispute with the Iranian authorities.

What we sought to do by this resolution is to get Iran to comply with its commitments in the framework of the NPT and comply with the demands of the Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency.

There's no wish to punish Iran, but we want to encourage it to cooperate better, to work with the international community-that's what we've shown.

What's also important in this resolution is the follow-up of the provisions since the Security Council will examine Iran's behavior on the basis of the report that the IAEA director general will submit to it within 60 days after the adoption of the resolution, which takes us to the end of February.

At that time the Security Council will decide what it can do. There are three options.

First, the suspension of the application of the measures adopted if Iran decides for its part to suspend enrichment and reprocessing activities.

Secondly, lift sanctions if the Council has proof that Iran is fully complying with the obligations imposed on it by the Security Council resolution and with the demands of the board of governors of the IAEA.

Lastly, adoption of additional measures under Article 41 of the Charter if Iran fails to comply exactly with the provisions of the resolution.

So there's a mechanism for re-examination which allows us to eventually review the measures adopted. As we've said all along, these measures are incentives and are reversible, and they depend entirely on Tehran's attitude.

Q - You worked on the basis of Article 43 but in the end you're talking of Article 41.

A - I believe we've always worked on the basis of Article 41 of Chapter 7. That's the framework we've worked in since the beginning of the resolution. This article provides for the adoption of measures not involving the use of armed force.

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