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IRAN

Q. - The treatment of Iran's nuclear programme is still causing tensions between Berlin and Paris. You accuse the Germans of being too soft on President (Mahmoud) Ahmadinejad for economic reasons.

THE MINISTER - Germany and Italy have bigger economic interests than we do. In other words, more severe sanctions would not affect all countries equally. I want us to weather the crisis together. We should not act too hastily. Our actions must remain transparent. We cannot leave it at the sanctions. Instead, we must continue to negotiate. The goal is peace.

Q. - Your German counterpart, (Foreign Minister Frank-Walter) Steinmeier, expects the Security Council, including the Russians and the Chinese, to take a unified stance against Iran. You, on the other hand, want to see EU sanctions that go beyond the scope of the UN sanctions.

THE MINISTER - I have just come from the meeting of the General Assembly, where we - thanks in part to France's active support - preserved the unity of the Group of Six: Germany, Great Britain, France, Russian, China and the United States are acting in concert. The key issue is whether we should supplement the UN effort with additional European sanctions.

Q. - A question you just answered in a letter of proposals to your 26 EU counterparts.

THE MINISTER - In New York, Frank, (US Secretary of State) Condoleezza Rice, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband and I discussed more effective punitive measures. Nothing has been decided yet.

Q. - Do you truly believe that sanctions will prevent Iran from nuclear armament?

THE MINISTER - Admittedly, three UN resolutions have not done anything so far, which is all the more reason for tougher action now. We want to target the regime's economic and financial nerve centres, not the Iranian people. Will sanctions alone be sufficient? I don't think so. They have to be accompanied by political offers.

Q. - If this doesn't work there could be war. You said it yourself.

THE MINISTER - Wait a minute. What I said was: "War would be the worst possible thing." And that's what I am determined to prevent, through unremitting negotiation.

Q. - It's nice that you set it straight.

THE MINISTER - It's important to me. I'm not a warmonger. I have been fighting for peace for the past 40 years. I have seen the wounded and the dead, at the front, under fire. I know what I'm talking about.

Q. - Nevertheless, the word "war" has made the Germans uneasy.

THE MINISTER - I understand that this word scares the Germans. But I don't want to hide behind diplomatic niceties. You will not hear me making bizarre statements like "high-intensity conflicts." The Americans mention "surgical strikes." My goodness!

Q. - Is there a risk that the United States could go it alone militarily?

THE MINISTER - Many believe it's a possibility. This is all the more reason for us to negotiate persistently, even if it means accepting setbacks. We need a political solution, not a military one.

Q. - You have offered to fly to Tehran for negotiations. Your president is opposed.

THE MINISTER - He doesn't believe this is the right time yet. But my offer remains on the table. I speak with the Iranians often, and I hope that the conditions for such a trip will soon materialize.

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