Special Report: Iran Nuclear Crisis
by Liu Gang
VIENNA, March 8 (Xinhua) -- A week-long meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)'s 35-nation board of governors dominated by the Iranian nuclear issue concluded here on Saturday.
In a joint statement issued at the meeting, six parities ¨C the United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany, expressed their readiness for direct dialogues with Iran for the first time, signaling new hope for solving the Iranian nuclear issue.
SOLUTION THROUGH DIALOGUES
The joint statement issued by the six parties on the Iranian nuclear issue on March 3 has three implications: supporting the IAEA to further play its role in solving the Iranian nuclear problem; urging Iran to actively cooperate with the IAEA on the issue, and resolving the dispute through diplomatic means.
In a speech last Wednesday, Chinese Ambassador to the IAEA TangGuoqiang said solving the Iranian nuclear issue through negotiations is facing a new opportunity. All parties concerned should continue to boost their diplomatic efforts and fully demonstrate flexibility in order to open dialogues and negotiations at an early date and to seek a comprehensive and long-term solution to the issue.
It is widely agreed that the joint statement again confirmed the keynote for solving the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogues, indicating that in the context of the current international political and economic situation, all parties concerned are re-examining and adjusting their policies on Iran, a favorable signal on breaking the current deadlock.
BREAKING DILEMMA NEEDS TRUST
The Iranian nuclear issue has attracted world attention for years. In January 2006, Iran declared restarting its nuclear fuel research after a suspense of more than two years, and has had an ever escalating confrontation with the West over the nuclear program.
Observers believe that the main reason for failures to break the nuclear deadlock is the lack of trust among related parties.
Iran said its nuclear program is only for improving its "energy structure", and as a member of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, it has the right to carry out uranium enrichment activities for peaceful purposes.
However, the United States and its major allies apparently will not allow the emergence of such a country as Iran to have the capability to produce enriched uranium. The former Bush administration even insisted that the ultimate intention of Iran's nuclear program was to possess nuclear weapons.
During the meeting, many countries have expressed the hope that Iran could "actively cooperate with the IAEA and the United Nations" to "clarify the claim that its nuclear program is for military use" as soon as possible and to implement the Additional Protocol of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
They also agreed that some western countries need to change its hostile attitude towards Iran, renounce the use of force as a threat, solve the problem through diplomatic means and conduct dialogues on an equal footing in a bid to build trust and push for the settlement of the nuclear issue.
U.S. OF VITAL IMPORTANCE
The Obama administration has extended "olive branch" to Iran several times after coming into power, expressing its willingness to carry out open and direct dialogues with Iran.
U.S. Secretary of States Hillary Clinton also confirmed that to negotiate with Iran is among the priorities of the country's diplomatic policies.
In response, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad Ahmadinejad said Teheran was ready for "fair talks" with the United States.
"The new U.S. administration has said it wants changes and follow the course of dialogue ... but the changes must be fundamental and not tactical."
Iran welcomes "true changes and is ready to hold talks but talks in a fair atmosphere with mutual respect," Ahmadinejad said.
Iran's Parliament Speaker Ali Larijani said the United States needs a change of strategy to pave the way for direct talks with the country.
Iran's representative to the IAEA Ali Asghar Soltanieh also said in Vienna that Iran is willing to negotiate with the United States about all issues "without any precondition".
Analysts say despite the easing of confrontation between the United States and Iran, the settlement of the Iranian nuclear dispute depends on further actions from both sides, especially the United States.
An IAEA official who declined to reveal his name believed that the new policies of the United States and European countries could be "negotiations together with pressure", meaning that the western powers will give Iran hope while continuing to keep pressure and even impose sanctions on the Islamic country.
At present, it's unlikely for Iran to give up its nuclear program and the United States and other western countries are also unwilling to accept an "Iran with nuclear". Big breakthrough on the Iranian nuclear dispute can be achieved only when both sides reach a comprise on whether to stop uranium enrichment or not, analysts say.
