Remarks by Under Secretary of Political Affairs William Burns on Iran in Interview with Interfax of Russia (Excerpts)

February 10, 2011

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QUESTION: I'd like to turn to Iran. Lately, the United States has not seen success in pushing its position toward Iran. Do you think that the six-party talks have any future, or is this format outdated?

UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: I think the position that the 5+1 countries have taken is not an American position; it's a unified position which the United States, Russia, and our other partners share. We were all disappointed, as Lady Ashton put it, after the last round of discussions with the Iranians in Istanbul at the end of January. But I think what was clear in those discussions was the solidarity of the 5+1 countries in support of what we believe is a very important choice that the Iranian government needs to make: whether it's going to live up to its international obligations, address the concerns that have been raised by the United Nations Security Council in a series of resolutions and by the International Atomic Energy Agency. If it wants to address those concerns, there's clearly a mechanism for accomplishing this. That's in Iran's best interest, that's in the best interest of the international community. The alternative is increasing isolation for Iran, and I think all of us in the 5+1, including the United States and Russia, are committed to that proposition. The United States shared the disappointment of our partners after Istanbul, but our commitment to diplomacy continues. At the same time, we need to sharpen that choice for the Iranian government in the hopes that they'll draw the right conclusions. The best way to do that, we're convinced, is to continue to work in close coordination with our other partners, including Russia.

QUESTION: You talk of solidarity and the unified position within 5+1. But still, Russia often claims that the United States and European countries impose unilateral sanctions. Could you please comment on this?

UNDER SECRETARY BURNS: I think UN Resolution 1929, when it was passed last summer, made clear the commitment of all of us to holding Iran to its international obligations. I know there have been differences sometimes over steps that the United States has taken, that some of our partners have taken, but I think in general, there's a very solid consensus within this group about the importance of ensuring that Iran does not develop a nuclear weapon, and in ensuring that it meets its international obligations. That's what drives all of us in the 5+1.

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