New York, NU Online
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reaffirmed on Tuesday Iran’s right to develop a civilian nuclear power industry in an address to the UN General Assembly shortly before the major powers’ dinner began.

Ahmadinejad also accused the United States and Britain of manipulating the United Nations over the nuclear issue to further their own agendas.

<>“All our nuclear activities are transparent, peaceful and under the watchful eyes of IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors,” the Iranian leader said. “Why then are there objections to our legally recognized rights?"

US President George W. Bush, who also addressed the assembly earlier Tuesday, called for unity among the Security Council members, who have been wavering in their resolve to hit Iran with sanctions.

The United States has been pressing its partners to adopt a new Security Council resolution imposing a graduated series of sanctions on Iran until it agrees to freeze its nuclear activities.

But its P5+1 partners, notably Russia, China and France, have argued forcibly in favor of continued talks with the Iranians prior to taking concrete steps towards sanctions.

French President Jacques Chirac told the UN Tuesday that “dialogue must prevail” in the standoff.
And he offered a compromise formula whereby the six powers would begin negotiations on improving relations with Iran at the same time Tehran announces a suspension of its uranium enrichment program.

The United States has until now insisted that Iran first suspend its program in a way that can be verified by international inspectors before it will break a 27-year policy of isolating Tehran and enter direct formal talks with the Islamic republic.

Bush reaffirmed Tuesday that wavering from this stance would allow Iran to
“stall” and pursue its nuclear weapons program while negotiations continue endlessly.

But State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said Tuesday night’s meeting would discuss both the ongoing EU dialogue with Iran and the need to prepare an eventual sanctions resolution if those talks fail to show quick progress.

“They’re going to talk about the two tracks currently ongoing,” he said.

The negotiating track is being led by the European Union foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, who was at the dinner and is due to hold a new round of talks later this week in New York with Iran’s chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani.

The details of a possible sanctions package have been the topic of discussions among senior diplomats of the six nations since August 31 and McCormack said he expected Tuesday’s dinner meeting to only “touch on” the issue.

“Mostly it will be about how the diplomacy unfolds absent an Iranian decision” to comply with the UN Security Council terms, he said.

McCormack said Italy was invited to join the six powers Tuesday because of its interest in the region and its role as one of Iran’s major trading partners. (afp/dar)