VZCZCXRO6031
OO RUEHAST
DE RUEHVI #1586 1531216
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
O 021216Z JUN 06
FM AMEMBASSY VIENNA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3714
INFO RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY 1327
RUEHUNV/USMISSION UNVIE VIENNA PRIORITY 0323
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 0130
RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE
RUEHZM/GULF COOPERATION COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
RUCNIRA/IRAN COLLECTIVE
RUCNNSG/NUCLEAR SUPPLIERS GROUP COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS VIENNA 001586 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR ISN, NEA, EUR/ERA, EUR/PGI AND EUR/AGS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KNNP ETTC MNUC ENRG IR EUN AU
SUBJECT: AUSTRIAN EU PRESIDENCY URGES IRAN TO RETURN TO 
NEGOTIATIONS 
 
REF: A) VIENNA 1563 B) STATE 87682 
 
¶1.  In her capacity as current President of the EU Council, 
Austrian Foreign Minister Ursula Plassnik issued a statement 
on behalf of the EU urging Iran to return to the negotiating 
table.  Before the June 1 "P5   1" meeting in Vienna, 
Plassnik met separately with Secretary of State Condoleeza 
Rice, UK Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett and EU High 
Representative Javier Solana.  Plassnik said afterwards that 
she hoped the international community would finalize an offer 
that would bring Iran back into talks on a diplomatic 
solution to the crisis over its nuclear program. 
 
¶2.  Text of the press release follows: 
 
In the run-up to the EU-3 meeting (UK, France and Germany) 
with the USA, Russia and China in Vienna, Foreign Minister 
Ursula Plassnik, President of the Council, had talks on 
Thursday with her counterparts from the USA and the UK, 
Condoleezza Rice and Margaret Beckett, and High 
Representative Javier Solana. 
 
"We hope it will be possible today to finalize an offer from 
the international community that will enable Iran to return 
to the negotiating table.  We are all working together on a 
diplomatic solution," Plassnik stated. 
 
She said the offer would contain economic and political 
incentives and enable Iran to use nuclear energy exclusively 
for peaceful purposes.  "We have never denied Iran the right 
to a nuclear program that exclusively serves the purpose of 
generating energy.  However, this requires Iran to restore 
the necessary basis of trust and provide convincing 
guarantees of the transparency and verifiability of its 
program.  We must have absolute certainty that the Iranian 
nuclear program is not a weapons program," Plassnik stressed. 
 
"Today is a day that will determine the future course of 
relations between the international community and Iran.  I 
hope Iran will recognize the importance of these 
international efforts and respond in an open-minded, positive 
fashion.  The international community is united on this 
issue.  We fully support the efforts of the EU-3.  Iran 
should grasp the hand extended to it and return to the 
negotiating table," she continued.  "This could also 
facilitate the development of a perspective for the future 
after decades of 'non-relations' between Iran and the USA." 
 
Plassnik concluded by remarking that the fact this important 
meeting had been held in Vienna once again highlighted the 
role of the city as a headquarters of UN organizations, an 
international meeting place and a center of dialogue. 
 
(end text) 
 
McCaw