Dick Roche (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)

I will deal with the question on the millennium goals. The Council did discuss the situation in Iran and the major international concerns that exist because of its dealings with nuclear programming. The Council also issued a declaration, which is important, because it supports the concept of a negotiated solution and the continuing efforts of the High Representative. It would be dangerous to continue to isolate Iran. We must have dialogue, which is a two-way process. The tragedy is that at the moment the dialogue with Iran is a dialogue of the deaf as it is not willing to get involved. The declaration underlined the European Union's deepening concerns about the nuclear programme. It also welcomed the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution. The declaration invited the Foreign Affairs Council to adopt the accompanying restricting measures but the tenure of the discussion both in the Foreign Affairs Council and in the European Council has been to encourage Iran to have meaningful dialogue. That is the only way in the future both for Iran and the rest of the world.

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