PARIS, Jan. 10 (Xinhuanet) -- French President Jacques Chirac warned Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Tuesday to respect their global obligations on nuclear energy, saying they would be making a serious error if they refused to cooperate on the issue.

    "Everyone recognizes the right of Iran and North Korea, for example, to use nuclear energy for peaceful ends. But the international community must imperatively make sure that commitments, agreed for the security of all, are enforced," Chirac said in a New Year's address to the French diplomatic corps.

    Warning that "the law applies equally to all", the French president said that "these countries would be committing a serious mistake if they did not take the hand that we are holding out to them".

    France, Germany and Britain -- the European troika, have been engaged in lengthy negotiations with Tehran aimed at obtaining guarantees that Iran is not seeking to develop nuclear weapons using its nuclear energy program as a cover.

    Chirac made the statement after Tehran said it resumed research on nuclear fuel on Tuesday. The International Atomic Energy Agency(IAEA) confirmed on Tuesday that Iran had removed the seals at a nuclear research center in Natanz, under the supervision of UN watchdogs.

    Iran announced last week it would restart research as of Monday into the nuclear fuel cycle, a process linked to uranium enrichment that it has suspended since October 2003.

    The United States, which accuses Tehran of seeking to build nuclear weapons, reiterated on Monday that Iran may be referred to the UN Security Council. Tehran argues that it needs a nuclear program for the peaceful generation of electricity. Enditem