UK FOREIGN SECRETARY STATEMENT ON IRAN (01/06/06)

The UK Foreign Secretary, Margaret Beckett, made the following statement following the Foreign Ministers' meeting in Vienna on 1 June:

'I am pleased to say that we have agreed a set of far reaching proposals as a basis for discussion with Iran. We believe that they offer Iran the chance to reach a negotiated agreement based on co-operation. We are prepared to resume negotiations should Iran resume the suspension of all enrichment related and reprocessing activities as required by the IAEA and we would also suspend action in the Security Council.

'We have also agreed that if Iran decides not to engage in negotiation further steps would have to be taken in the Security Council.

'So there are two paths ahead. We urge Iran to take the positive path and to consider seriously our substantive proposals which would bring significant benefits to Iran. We will now be talking to the Iranians about our proposals.'