France reacts to Iranian FM letter

France says the Iranian foreign minister’s letter of protest to UN Security Council members shows Iran is “not going in the right direction.”

Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki sent letters to the 15 permanent and non-permanent members of UNSC, criticizing the council for approving a fourth round of sanctions against Tehran.

France, one of the permanent members of the Security Council, was the first country to react to Mottaki’s letter, which said the sanctions showed the Western countries’ “lack of real interest in negotiations.”

The sanctions were approved on June 9, less than a month after Iran issued a joint nuclear declaration with Turkey and Brazil in which Tehran said it was ready to swap its low-enriched uranium on Turkish soil with nuclear fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor.

French foreign ministry spokesman Bernard Valero said on Thursday, “The letters received from Manouchehr Mottaki are not going in the right direction. What we expect from Iran is that it addresses the concerns of the international community with concrete measures.”

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified the non-diversion of nuclear material in Iran in its reports on the country’s nuclear program.

However, the US and its Western allies continue to accuse Iran of pursuing military objectives in its nuclear program — a claim categorically rejected by Iran.

Valero also said “very clear messages have been addressed to Iran so that it finally agrees to engage in talks on its sensitive activities.”

Iran has repeatedly voiced its readiness for talks with the West based on the Tehran Declaration.