UK wants "partnership" not "conflict" with Iran, says minister

London, Dec 22, IRNA - The British government is insistent that it wants to improve relations
with Iran but remains adamant in continuing with its
sticks-and-carrots approach in the dispute provoked over the country's
civilian nuclear programme.

"First I would like to make very clear we haven't got any hostility
towards Iran. Iran is a country with a long and
distinguished history, a magnificent culture," Foreign Office Minister
Bill Rammell said.

"It is a country we want a strong and cooperative relationship with.
We very much want a modern relationship as well one based on
partnership not on conflict," Rammell said.

But setting out Britain's position in an interview with IRNA, he said
that this could not be achieved at the moment because of "serious and
legitimate concerns."
These included not only the dispute over Iran's nuclear programme but
accusations of alleged support for terrorism and the promotion of
instability in the region.

The minister, who was recently appointed for the Middle East, cited
such claims that Iran was supporting the Taliban in Afghanistan,
despite it warning the West about its dangers many years before its
overthrow in 2001.

He denied that Britain itself was supporting terrorism by recently
deproscribing the Mojahedin Khalq Organisation (MKO), which has been
responsible for killing tens of thousands of Iranians, insisting it
was a court decision opposed by his government.

When challenged, Rammell was unable to name any other terrorist group
that was not outlawed by Britain, but said he wanted to make clear
that his government still recognized the MKO's "long-track record" of
involvement in terrorism in Iran and the region.

On Thursday, former UK ambassador to Tehran Sir Richard Dalton
suggested a new approach was needed to resolve the dispute over Iran's
nuclear programme after five years of deadlock.

A new report on Iran: Breaking the Nuclear Deadlock, edited by Dalton,
recommended that Washington engages with Iran and that US
president-elect Barack Obama appoints a special envoy as part of a
plan to normalize relations with Tehran.

But Rammell remained adamant that Britain was sticking with its
current strategy ahead of Obama coming to power, saying the 5 plus 1
had made a "very substantial offer" of incentives to Iran, which had
the choice to take it or face the prospect of "tougher" sanctions.

"We don't want be in position of being at loggerheads with Iran," the
minister told IRNA.

"We want progressive and forward-looking relations."
But at the root of the deadlock preventing negotiations remains the
demand made on Iran to suspend the enrichment of uranium, which it is
entitled to do under the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Recent calls to drop the precondition to talks have been made among
others by former American National Security Adviser Zbigniew
Brzezinski and for EU External Affairs Commissioner Chris Patten, but
this was rejected by the British Foreign Office Minister.

He argued that the package offer was "very reasonable" and that he
remained hopeful Iran would accept it.

At the same time, he threatened that pressure would be stepped up for
Iran to "make the right choice."
But when challenged, Rammell refused to say that the real intentions
of the US and UK to deny Iran its right to enrich uranium by wanting
to make the suspension permanent.

"We want Iran to suspend and engage," he said without mentioning any
time limit. If Iran does, it can meet its concerns for access to
civilian nuclear power through the offer made, he suggested.

End