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During the past few years, Germany, together with France and Britain and supported by the US, Russia and China, has been intensively seeking to find a solution to the conflict about Iran's nuclear programme.

No-one wants to deny Iran the right to use nuclear energy peacefully. Nor is the objective of the diplomatic efforts to isolate Iran. On the contrary, we hope that Iran will become a reliable and responsible partner in the crisis-stricken Middle East. That is why on 6 June we offered Iran a package aimed at far-reaching cooperation. This package includes proposals for closer diplomatic, economic and security cooperation. And it expressly acknowledges Iran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.

However, the international community also rightly expects cooperation and transparency from Iran. If Iran were to prove that the IAEA's suspicions are unfounded and send a clear sign that it really does only intend to use it nuclear programme for peaceful purposes that could open the door to a development which benefits people in Iran and in the entire region.

It is now up to the Government in Tehran to face up to its responsibility. The decision in favour of peace and stability in the entire Middle East requires courage. I call upon Iran to end the current phase of procrastination! Give a clear sign of confidence so that we can look to the future together and we can finally sit down at the negotiating table!

The resolution of the nuclear conflict with Iran is urgent. However, the challenges of the prolifera­tion of nuclear weapons go far beyond that. We have to act now if we want to halt the erosion of the non-proliferation regime. The next attempt to implement the Non-Proliferation Treaty in full must not fail.

Not only Iran but also other countries are thinking about developing enrichment technology. We have to develop new instruments if we want to prevent the resulting risks from materializ­ing. I am therefore strongly in favour of not merely exchanging ideas on the multilateralization of the fuel cycle, on transferring responsibility for uranium enrichment to the international com­munity but of further developing them into concrete options. I advocate that we put greater effort into finding solutions together with the IAEA.

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