Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 6 July 2004
232 Mr. Connolly asked the Minister for Foreign Affairs his views on Iran’s expressed intention to resume building equipment essential for a nuclear power programme, despite its signed agreement to the contrary with three major European Powers, France, Britain and Germany; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20020/04]
View answerIt has been almost two years since Iran's undeclared nuclear programme was first brought to the attention of the International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, and the director general of the agency has presented five reports on the matter since June 2003.
Britain, France and Germany have been to the fore in engaging with Iran on these issues and these efforts have been welcomed by the European Union as a whole. In October 2003, the three foreign ministers concluded an agreed statement in Tehran whereby Iran agreed, as a confidence building measure, to suspend voluntarily all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities as defined by the IAEA.
The IAEA board of governors has also called upon Iran to suspend such activities and welcomed Iran's announced decision to do so. The most recent resolution, adopted by the board on 18 June 2004, reflects this but also expresses regret that these commitments have not been comprehensively implemented and calls on Iran immediately to correct all remaining shortcomings. The EU statement at the June board of governors, delivered by Ireland in its capacity as Presidency of the Union, referred to the importance of the IAEA being in a position to verify fully Iran's announced suspension.
Subsequent to these developments, Iran informed the IAEA on 23 June 2004 that it intended to resume manufacture of centrifuge components and assembly and testing of centrifuges. I regret this announcement and would urge Iran to reconsider this decision and to continue its suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities. Such suspension has been endorsed by the board of governors and is an important confidence-building measure, particularly while unresolved issues relating to Iran's nuclear programme continue to be examined by the IAEA.
I also continue to call on Iran to extend full and proactive co-operation to the IAEA in a spirit of full transparency and to take all necessary steps, on an urgent basis, to help resolve all remaining questions in relation to its nuclear programme. Ireland, together with our EU partners, will continue to monitor developments ahead of the next scheduled consideration of this issue by the IAEA board of governors in September.
