Parts of a Communiqué issued by the Presidency of the Republic following the interview given by M. Jacques Chirac, President of the Republic, to the "Nouvel Observateur" magazine, "International Herald Tribune" and "New York Times" newspapers
Paris, February 1, 2007
President Chirac reaffirmed with the utmost clarity French policy vis-ÃÂ -vis Iran. Such a serious matter, on which France and President Chirac’s commitment is constant, cannot be the subject of a war of words.
Nuclear issue. France, with the international community, cannot accept the prospect of an Iran with nuclear weapons and is asking Iran to comply with her commitments under the NPT, while reaffirming that country’s right to civilian nuclear power. Iran, who has not proved that her nuclear programme was designed for peaceful purposes, has to implement the IAEA and UN resolutions and restore the trust she has broken during a long period of concealment of her nuclear activities. This issue is endangering the balance and stability of the Middle East region and beyond. It is being handled by the three European States (France, Germany and the United Kingdom) and the European Union with Russia, China and the United States, who are acting unitedly and ensuring the unity of their position, as they demonstrated with the unanimous adoption of UNSCR 1737.
In 2006, the six countries proposed to Iran cooperation in the field of civil nuclear power and the economic and security areas. The offer is still on the table. If Iran agrees to suspend by a sovereign gesture her enrichment-related activities, then the UN Security Council will suspend the current sanctions process and the negotiation will begin with Iran.
The Iranian nuclear programme is impenetrable and so dangerous for the region from the point of view of proliferation and the arms race. France is campaigning for the Middle East to become a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone, and an IAEA resolution with this end in view was passed last year.
