EU urges Iran to take ‘confidence-building step’ to help resolve nuclear issue

TEHRAN,Dec.20(MNA) – The European Union called on Iran on Tuesday to take a “confidence-building step” to help resolve the dispute over the country’s nuclear program, Reuters reported. “Iran has to address the immediate key concern, which is the issue of 20 percent enrichment, by taking an initial comprehensive confidence-building step in this area, thereby creating space for more diplomacy and negotiations,” said the spokesman for EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton who represents the 5+1 group (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) in nuclear negotiations with Iran. The EU official made the remarks in response to Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Director Fereydoun Abbasi, who said on the same day that Tehran would not stop producing uranium enriched to a purity level of 20 percent due to Western countries’ demands. “The Islamic Republic of Iran will produce 20 percent enriched uranium to meet its needs and until it is required… 20 percent enrichment is the right of the Iranian nation for use in the Tehran reactor, and it will strongly defend this right,” Abbasi said, adding, “20 percent enrichment is not an issue that the Westerners want to agree with or be opposed to or want to adopt a stance toward it. It is the right of the Iranian people, and we will not relinquish this right.” Western powers want Iran to halt higher-grade enrichment of uranium. But Iran says it needs 20 percent enriched uranium to run the Tehran research reactor, which produces radioisotopes for cancer treatment. The Washington Post reported on December 15 that a new round of talks between Iran and the six major powers might be possible in coming weeks.