France says Iran response is "unsatisfactory"

Deutsche Presse Agentur
Published: Friday August 25, 2006

Paris- French Foreign Affairs Minister Philippe Douste- Blazy on Friday joined his voice to those of other senior Western officials by calling "unsatisfactory" Iran's response to an offer to cease its uranium enrichment activities in exchange for economic incentives. "Frankly, they say they want negotiations while at the same time they don't want to suspend (uranium enrichment)," Douste-Blazy told RTL radio. "But (UN Security Council) Resolution 1696 obliges them to suspend all uranium enrichment activities before August 31."

On Thursday, German Chancellor Angela Merkel also used the word "unsatisfactory" in a television interview to describe Iran's response to the offer made by the so-called Five Plus One nations that drafted the proposals.

Earlier in the week, officials in Washington had also criticized the response by Tehran.

But Douste-Blazy urged Western nations to avoid a confrontation over the issue, saying, "The worst thing would be a show of force in a confrontation" with Iran and the Islamic world.

"I believe in the principle that we must hold a dialogue with the Iranians, that we must extend them a hand," he said.

However, on Wednesday Douste-Blazy told journalists in Paris that there would be no negotiations with Tehran before they ceased all uranium enrichment activities.

© 2006 DPA - Deutsche Presse-Agenteur