VIENNA, Austria - Three European nations trying to persuade Iran to renounce uranium enrichment urged Tehran on Wednesday "to follow the path ... towards a negotiated solution" instead of confrontation that could result in U.N. sanctions.

In moderate language designed not to jeopardize a new round of EU-Iran talks set for Thursday, Britain, France and Germany only alluded to the threat of Security Council sanctions if Tehran continues to enrich uranium.

Consensus on the text, delivered inside the closed door meeting and made available to The Associated Press, was achieved only after compromise among the three.

Diplomats accredited to a meeting of the 35-nation board of the International Atomic Energy Agency said that while France and Britain favored a tougher approach, Germany supported a more toned-down text.

The diplomats spoke on condition of anonymity because they were giving out information they were not authorized to share.

The search for agreement reflected uncertainties about Iranian intentions after Tehran suggested during talks on Sunday that it was ready to consider a short-term enrichment freeze.

A third round of those talks, between Tehran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana, was set for Thursday, possibly in Paris.

The discussions are a chance for Iran to avoid sanctions for rejecting the U.N. Security Council's demand that it freeze uranium enrichment, which can be used to make nuclear arms.

"We continue to extend an open hand to Iran," said the statement, adding that if Iran met the Security Council demand on enrichment, "we will ask to suspend action in the Security Council."

Looking ahead to Thursday's meeting between Solana and Larijani, the three said the previous round "helped clarify some misunderstandings."

"We support these ongoing efforts aimed at convincing Iran to comply with its international obligations, while paving the way for a diplomatic solution," said the statement.

The three European countries are part of a six-nation alliance offering Iran economic and political rewards if it agrees to consider a long-term moratorium on enrichment and commits to an enrichment freeze before talks to discuss details of their package.

Reflecting indecision over how to deal with Tehran, those world powers gave up their attempts to join together in criticizing Iran's nuclear defiance Tuesday after China and Russia refused to endorse U.S.-backed tough language, diplomats said.

Russia and China have both signed off on U.N. sanctions as a way to punish Iran for its refusal to freeze enrichment, which was first requested and then demanded by the U.N. Security Council. They, along with the United States, are part of the six-nation alliance, and permanent council members.

Beijing and Moscow, however, have resisted U.S.-led efforts to move to sanctions quickly, despite the expiry of an Aug. 31 deadline on Iran to freeze work on developing the technology. Instead, they favor continued negotiations.

Iran's unofficial and tentative offer for a freeze of up to two months was revealed by officials from delegations familiar with the outcome of those talks.

Expanding on the Iranian overture Tuesday, those same officials told The Associated Press that Tehran was only willing to freeze enrichment temporarily once it begins talks with the six powers that are meant to defuse the nuclear crisis. That would run counter to demands by the six of an enrichment freeze before talks begin.

Still, no formal proposal has been made. In Washington, State Department deputy spokesman Tom Casey said: "There's been no change in the Iranian position."

Casey said the Bush administration was proceeding with discussions with other nations on pursuing sanctions against Iran in the U.N. Security Council.

He said Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will take up the sanctions issue with other diplomats at the special session of the U.N. General Assembly next week in New York.

Still, the failure of the six powers to come up with a common Iran statement at the board meeting reflected that some preferred to wait on tough punishment until Iran offered more details about its suggestion.

"There was too much talk of the Security Council and sanctions, and the Russians and Chinese were unwilling to go along," one of the diplomats said, referring to the differences over attempts to draft a common text.

Tehran has said it would not give up its right to the full range of nuclear technology and expertise, including enrichment, which it says it needs to develop to meet future nuclear power needs.

Still, Tehran's readiness to consider even a temporary pause is significant because it could de-escalate the nuclear standoff if it makes a formal offer and the six powers agree that Iran's terms are acceptable for a start to negotiations.

Iran voluntarily did suspend uranium activities during two years of negotiations with European nations, but those talks fell apart last year.

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed