Iran will respond to offer in August
(AP)
Updated: 2006-06-21 21:24
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Wednesday his country will respond in
mid-August to the package of incentives on its nuclear program offered by the
West. "We are studying the proposals. Hopefully, we will present our views about
the package by mid-August," Ahmadinejad told a crowd in western Iran in a speech
broadcast live on state television.
The offer, presented by European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana
during a June 6 visit, provides a range of incentives for Iran to impose a
moratorium on uranium enrichment, a process that can produce material for
nuclear generators or for weapons.
If Iran rejects the deal, President Bush has warned that it can expect U.N.
Security Council action and progressively stronger political and economic
sanctions. The U.S. and Europe are pressing for a quick answer.
If Iran accepts the package, it has to suspend its uranium enrichment
entirely before the six powers will start negotiations on a framework for its
nuclear program.
Such a step would be politically difficult. Since Iran resumed enrichment
this year after a three-year suspension, Ahmadinejad has repeatedly vowed never
to halt it again.
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