Annan believes Iran taking nuclear offer 'very seriously'

UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan said after meeting Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki in Geneva today that he believed Tehran was taking ’very seriously’ an offer of incentives to roll back its nuclear programme.

“I hope it will give its official answer before too long,” said Annan.

But he said it might not be until after the Group of Eight summit conference starting ON June 29 in Moscow. The partners want an answer at about the time of the summit.

Annan said his talk with Mottaki was “very useful".

“Iran maintains that its interest in nuclear energy is purely for peaceful purposes, and I have stressed to Iranian leaders, including Mr Mottaki, that it is very much in their interest to convince the world of that by co-operating fully with IAEA,” the International Atomic Energy Agency, Annan said.

The United States wants a fast response to the offer it made with the four other permanent members of the Security Council and Germany.

The partners are holding open the option of seeking a UN Security Council resolution against Iran if they find the response unacceptable.