Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

I propose to take Questions Nos. 68 and 81 together.

The Government strongly shares the widespread international concern about the nature of Iran's nuclear programme. We fully support the continuing efforts of the EU and its international partners to achieve a diplomatic solution.

The International Atomic Energy Agency's latest report on Iran's nuclear programme was issued on 26 May, as requested under Security Council Resolution 1803 of 3 March 2008. Although Iran had announced in February that it had completed a work programme with the IAEA to answer all remaining questions about its activities, the agency reported that a number of significant questions remained to be answered. These related to Iran's known uranium enrichment activities, to other actual or possibly undeclared activities and to specific evidence of activities relating to weaponisation. The IAEA also confirmed that Iran continued to ignore the demand of the Security Council in Resolution 1803 and three earlier resolutions to suspend its enrichment activity to allow negotiations to take place.

The European Union and the United States along with Russia and China have acted in a close partnership for a long period to try to achieve a peaceful diplomatic solution to this issue and to persuade Iran to negotiate meaningfully. This regular contact included discussions at the EU-US summit hosted by the Slovenian Presidency on 10 June and attended by President Bush. The summit declaration endorsed the dual approach of supporting the IAEA and Security Council action while at the same time proposing positive measures to encourage Iran to negotiate.

As the latest step in this continuing positive engagement the EU High Representative, Mr. Javier Solana, visited Teheran on 14 June accompanied by the political directors of the UK, France, Germany, Russia and China. He delivered a letter signed by the foreign ministers of these countries and US Secretary of State Rice. It restated their willingness and that of the European Union to engage positively with Iran and to recognise Iran's right to a civil nuclear power programme. The letter was accompanied by an expansion of the wide-ranging package of incentives presented to Iran in the summer of 2006. Iran rejected the proposals at the time without serious discussion.

Mr. Solana reported to the EU external relations council on Monday that his discussions in Teheran had gone well and that the Iranian side had promised to study this communication and respond to it. I hope Iran will give serious consideration to this generous and open offer, which has been delivered with such authoritative backing. It provides a real opportunity to resolve the nuclear issue and to develop a new and more constructive relationship between Iran and the rest of the international community.

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