Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

Given the major concerns over the Iranian nuclear programme as documented in a series of UN Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency resolutions since 2006, and given Iran's continuing unwillingness to engage seriously on these concerns or to address the serious findings highlighted in the IAEA's reports, the international community has had to impose several rounds of increasingly tough restrictive measures.

These include an EU embargo on Iranian petrochemical products and a ban on crude oil imports to the EU which took effect on 1 July. The June Foreign Affairs Council agreed that Iran's engagement in talks up to that point had given no basis for postponing the measure. I have no doubt that these measures, by the EU and others, were instrumental in triggering Iran's belated acceptance of talks in recent months.

There have been three rounds of talks between Iran and the E3+3, in Istanbul in April, Baghdad in May and, most recently, in Moscow on 18 June, as well as some follow-up technical discussions. A further round is expected but not yet scheduled.

While Iran has engaged in these talks in a somewhat more realistic manner than before, hopes raised by the April meeting have regrettably not been borne out yet. Iran's negotiators have engaged with the issues, which is an improvement, but in a manner which so far suggests that they are seeking only to spin out the process, and not to actively work to reach a solution. There is no agreement among the E3+3 that a further round of talks is warranted, but Iran will have to demonstrate more serious engagement if the talks process is to go anywhere.

Ultimately, the grave issues arising in terms of Iran's nuclear programme can only be resolved through diplomatic negotiations and not by any other means. Ireland, with its EU partners, will continue to lend strong support to High Representative Ashton and the other members of the E3+3 as they pursue the twin-track approach which is aimed at persuading Iran to negotiate seriously - and which now appears to be paying some dividends.

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