Joint Communique by the E3 and Iran Following the Meeting of the Paris Agreements' Steering Committee

March 23, 2005

Weapon Program: 

  • Nuclear

Related Country: 

  • Iran

On 15 November 2004 the E3/EU and Iran agreed to begin negotiations with a view to reaching a mutual acceptable agreement on long term arrangements. These negotiations were launched at ministerial level on 13 December 2004 in Brussels.

Today, we had a meeting of the Steering Committee provided for in the Paris Agreement. The purpose of this meeting was to take stock of the progress made in the working groups, identify measures that can be implemented in advance of an overall agreement and set out further work.

We took note of progress reports from the three working groups on political and security issues, technology and economic cooperation and nuclear issues.

We discussed the central issue in the negotiations, the requirements for objective guarantees that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes, and equally the provision of firm guarantees on nuclear, technological and economic cooperation and firm commitments on security issues referred to in the Paris Agreement. We agreed to pursue our efforts on the basis of the Paris Agreement to reach an effective solution to these questions.

Iran and the E3/EU reiterated their views on the issue. Iran presented certain ideas on objective guarantees that Iran's nuclear programme is exclusively for peaceful purposes, firm guarantees on nuclear, technological and economic cooperation and firm commitments on security issues referred to in the Paris Agreement. Iran and the E3/EU agreed to have an early meeting of the Nuclear Issues Working Group to further address objective guarantees, and to meet again subsequently.

We have made progress on a number of interim measures that have already been implemented or that we decided to implement within the next few months. These measures cover issues discussed in the three working groups. Taken together the agreed measures and activities contribute to an enhanced relationship between the E3/EU and Iran and set the stage for further progress in our negotiations.

We remain committed to full implementation of the Paris Agreement.