AFP, Brasilia, 18 Jan 2012 – British Foreign Secretary William Hague said here Wednesday that ‘greater but peaceful’ pressure on Iran would continue in the absence of meaningful negotiations on Tehran’s suspect nuclear program.
‘In the absence of meaningful negotiations, greater but peaceful, legitimate pressure will continue,’ Hague told a press conference after holding talks with his Brazilian counterpart Antonio Patriota.
‘Any return to meaningful negotiations on the nuclear program in Iran will be welcome,’ said Hague, who kicked off his first official visit to Brazil.
The British foreign minister, who is on a two-day visit to Latin America’s leading economic power, said he discussed the prospects for such talks Tuesday with his Turkish counterpart Ahmet Davutoglu.
Davutoglu said Wednesday that both Iran and six major powers trying to rein Tehran’s nuclear ambitions were ready and willing to restart talks on Tehran’s controversial nuclear program.
‘Both sides declared the intention to meet and to restart the negotiations’ but ‘of course it is up to both sides to decide,’ the Turkish chief diplomat said during a visit to NATO headquarters.
‘For us it is important that such negotiation are meaningful,’ Hague told reporters. ‘ It is quite significant that every time we discuss sanctions, an offer of negotiation emerges from Iran.’
The United States and its European allies say that Iran is covertly trying to build a nuclear program under the cover of its uranium enrichment program.
But Iran insists its nuclear program is for exclusively peaceful purposes.
‘We will not be deterred from imposing additional sanctions simply by the suggestion that there may be negotiations, we want to see actual negotiations and so we will continue peaceful pressure on Iran,’ Hague said.
European governments are moving closer to an agreement on an Iranian oil embargo that would give companies six months to phase out contracts with Tehran.