Iran dismisses talk of partial freeze in atom work

Tehran, Apr 29: Iran dismissed today any suggestion it might agree to partially suspend its uranium enrichment activities as a way towards ending an international standoff over its nuclear programme.

Iran says it is developing nuclear technology for power generation but the West fears it is trying to build a bomb and two sets of UN sanctions have already been imposed on Tehran.

Some diplomats and analysts say Iran and the six world powers handling Iran's atomic file may eventually need to accept a partial enrichment freeze under strict UN inspections to overcome the deadlock. Both sides have publicly denied this.

When asked about a possible partial suspension of Iran's nuclear work, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini told a regular news briefing: ''What has been said about suspension is not correct and it is not true.'' He described last week's talks in Turkey between Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani and European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana as positive and constructive.

Larijani said after his meeting with Solana that Iran and the EU were nearing a ''united view'' in some areas of their talks, which will reconvene in two weeks' time, but did not give details.

Analysts say the key to resolving the crisis is finding a definition of an enrichment suspension both sides can stomach.

This could, for example, mean suspending uranium fuel production but exempting the building or testing of centrifuge machines.

Iranian officials have repeatedly rejected any retreat on its nuclear programme.

The Islamic state earlier this month announced it had begun industrial-scale uranium enrichment, which can be used for nuclear fuel or provide material for making an atom bomb.

Senior officials of the six big powers -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany -- and the EU are to meet in London this week to review the Solana-Larijani dialogue and discuss whether a third, tougher sanctions resolution might be needed.

Reuters

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