Foreign Ministers from five permanent UN Security Council nations and Germany issued a statement in Berlin Thursday, urging Iran to suspend all its enrichment activities, and return to negotiations on its nuclear issue.

 

At a joint press conference after hosting a two-hour meeting, German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said, "We had a very substantive exchange of views on the situation resulting from Iran's nuclear activities."

 

"We continue to be serious concerned about the outstanding issues relating to Iran's nuclear program and Iran's failure to take the steps as required of Iran by the IAEA Board of Governors in its resolution of February 4, including suspension of all enrichment related and reprocessing activities, including research and development."

 

He said the foreign ministers welcomed the fact that the UN Security Council has reached agreement on a Presidential Statement with the objective of reinforcing the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) process.

 

 

The UN statement "sends a strong signal to Iran to take the steps required by the IAEA Board," he said, adding that the international community would remain ready to find a diplomatic solution and agree to continue our close consultations on the issue.

 

The statement recognized the legitimate right of Iran under the Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop a safe and sustainable civilian nuclear program.

 

It admitted that Iran would need an extensive period of confidence-building to convince the international community of the exclusively peaceful purpose of its nuclear program.

 

It urgently called on Iran to address the international concern through a diplomatic solution.

 

It appealed that Iran suspend all its Uranium enrichment activities to return to the negotiating table.

 

The participants of the meeting are Deputy Foreign Minister of China Dai Bingguo, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy and US Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice.

 

 

Germany has been part of the European trio, along with Britain and France, to try to persuade Iran to give up its nuclear program over the past years.

 

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana also took part in the meeting.

 

The meeting came one day after the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a presidential statement calling on Iran to resume suspension of all uranium enrichment-related activities within 30 days.

 

The statement had kicked the "ball back in Iran's court" as French Ambassador to the UN Jean-Marc de la Sabliere described.

 

It noted "with serious concern" that the IAEA "was unable to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran."

 

It called on Iran to take steps to build confidence in the exclusively peaceful purpose of its nuclear program and to resolve outstanding questions.

 

It underlined "the particular importance of re-establishing full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, to be verified by the IAEA."

 

IAEA Director-General Mohamed ElBaradei will deliver a new report in 30 days to the IAEA board of governors and the Security Council on Iran's compliance with IAEA demands, including the suspension of its enrichment activities.

 

(Xinhua News Agency March 31, 2006)