European, Russian firms to build N-reactors in Iran
WASHINGTON, June 9: The package of incentives and penalties offered by major powers to end the Iran nuclear crisis has not been officially revealed. But details from interviews with western diplomats and an early draft released by ABC Television, include the following:
PRECONDITIONS:
—US will join Europeans, and perhaps Russia and China, for negotiations on the incentive package if Iran suspends ‘all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities’. A suspension must be verified by the International Atomic Energy Agency and Iran must cooperate fully with the IAEA and provide greater access for IAEA inspectors.
INCENTIVES:
—Major powers recognise Iran’s right to energy for peaceful purposes and agree to support building new light-water nuclear power reactors. European and Russian firms will be prime contractors. The U.S. will approve licenses needed to permit U.S.-origin components to be transferred to Iran.
—Although Iran must for now suspend enrichment, it could continue uranium conversion, a preliminary step to enrichment.
—Iran may be able to enrich uranium on its own territory in the future but only after meeting strict conditions with U.N. Security Council approval.
—Iran can have legally-binding guarantees of nuclear fuel, which include partnership in an international fuel centre in Russia and establishment in Iran of a new facility containing a five-year fuel stockpile.
DISINCENTIVES:
Listed as ‘possible measures in the event that Iran does not cooperate’, the disincentives are deliberately not called sanctions to avoid threatening Tehran.
—Embargo on the export of nuclear goods and technologies.
—Freeze on assets, ban on financial transactions, travel ban on Iranian individuals and organizations involved in nuclear programs.
—Suspension of Iran’s technical nuclear cooperation with the IAEA.—Reuters
