LOC14:42
11:42 GMT
PARIS, Aug 24 (KUNA) - The French government on Wednesday accused Iran of
"a new provocation" and a fresh violation of UN Security Council resolutions
because of the installation of centrifuges used to enrich uranium at the
Qom-Ferdow plant that had been built clandestinely.
"On August 22, the Iranian authorities announced the installation of new
centrifuges in the underground uranium enrichment plant at Qom-Ferdow," a
French Foreign Ministry statement remarked here.
"This decision is a new provocation vis-a-vis the international community
and it violates the Security Council resolutions which demand the suspension
of enrichment activities," the statement added.
The Security Council has passed a total of six resolutions on Iran's
nuclear and ballistic programmes, four of them calling on Iran to halt
"sensitive" nuclear activities like enrichment and urging Iran to fully
cooperate in a transparent manner with the International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA).
The IAEA and several members of the 5+1 group negotiating with Iran have
expressed serious concerns about the finality of the Iranian nuclear programme
and France has said several times that this programme has "no credible
civilian end."
Iran denies any military component in its nuclear activities but the
parallel development of an advanced ballistic missile programme has also
worried some observers.
"Nothing justifies the pursuit of these activities, or even their transfer
to a new installation that was hidden for a long time from the international
community," the French statement said of the Iranian decision to place
centrifuges in Qom rather than in their usual location in Natanz.
"Iran must put an end to these violations and cooperate with the IAEA," the
statement urged. (End)
jk.ajs
KUNA 241442 Aug 11NNNN