. . .

BOUCHER: That's where the G-8 works issues together: nonproliferation issues, political issues, issues of their relationships of importance to them.

The impetus for this discussion comes from the secretary's discussion with G-8 foreign ministers in September. And comes from the efforts the Europeans are making to look at what they can do to get the Iranians to comply with their obligations to the International Atomic Energy Agency.

It has been a frequent subject of discussion between the secretary and his counterparts. He's not making any particular phone calls in anticipation of this particular meeting, but it's an ongoing effort both at the ministerial level and at the more detailed, sort of, level that is going to be worked on Friday.

QUESTION: On a policy level, are you concerned that if something is said in play it would vitiate or at least work against U.S. determination to get this issue to the Security Council?

BOUCHER: The point, I think, that everybody has made -- the G-8 countries, the European Three and the United States -- is that Iran needs to comply with its own commitments and the requirements of the IAEA board. That is the only thing that would vitiate the process, that would change the process. Iran is either going to comply with the requirements or it's not.

If it doesn't, if it continues not to, we continue to believe -- I wouldn't even put an if on it. I'd just say we continue to believe that Iran's past behavior merits referral to the Security Council. But I think if Iran came around and did what they're being asked to do, everybody would take that into account.

QUESTION: If the Europeans get something in action, either genuinely or ingenuously, couldn't the Iranians seize on that and start some sort of a dialogue? Maybe I'm looking too far ahead. How could you then go to the U.N. and expect the same Europeans who are negotiating with Iran to support a decision?

BOUCHER: Again, we're not going to jump seven steps down the road and predict failure and wimping out and all that sort of stuff quite yet. If it happens, we'll deal with it.

Where we are now and where I think the Europeans are now, and they have made this clear as well, is that Iran needs to comply with the requirements and the commitments that it's made.

And so that's what this discussion is about. This discussion is not about how to engage in some extended dialogue.

The September International Atomic Energy Agency board meeting said, "We're looking for reports. We're looking for action, before the November meeting, by Iran to meet these requirements." The Europeans have said they're looking for action to meet these requirements.

If that action doesn't take place, then it is likely that other countries will be more supportive of the U.S. goal, which is to move this matter to the Security Council. And so on Friday, we're going to hear from the Europeans on the work they've been doing on how to get the Iranians to comply. And we're going to discuss with them further what to do in the Security Council if there's agreement in November to refer it there.

QUESTION: Do you expect Friday to be a, kind of, decisive meeting or do you think you'll just be in listening mode in terms of listening to some of the ideas that the Europeans have?

QUESTION: Or do you expect a course of action to be determined?

BOUCHER: Yes.

QUESTION: (OFF-MIKE) to be a decisive meeting?

BOUCHER: No, I also consider it to be a listening mode in terms of working on the course of action.

If you look at how this issue has evolved, the decisive points are when Iran is faced with a decision of whether to comply or not. And so, in terms of the political decision to make clear to Iran that they must comply, I would say that was made at the September Board of Governors meeting and reinforced by the G-8 ministers dinner in New York.

That fundamental political decision has already been made, that the period we're in now is one of making clear to Iran that they need to comply and how they must comply.

The meeting on Friday then becomes, sort of, the working implementation of that about how do you do that. And it may decide how do you go forward.

But the kind of big political decision you were asking about I think has pretty much already been made by the ministers when they got together and said, "Between now and November, we need to make very clear to Iran that they need to comply."

QUESTION: But it surely won't be an indecisive meeting?

BOUCHER: Never.