France proposes new sanctions against Iran

November 22nd, 2011 - 6:43 am ICT by IANS  

Paris, Nov 22 (IANS) France has called on its western partners and the European Union to jointly impose new sanctions against Iran to force it to negotiate on its nuclear issue.

France regards Iran’s nuclear programme as an “unacceptable threat” to the region and the whole world, Xinhua quoted a statement from the presidential Elysee Palace as saying.

France has written a letter to state leaders and governments of Germany, Canada, US, Japan and Britain and the presidents of the European Council and the European Commission on the issue, the statement said.

It called for “new sanctions of an unprecedented scale, to convince Iran that it must negotiate”.

It proposed to the EU and other partners “to take decision like — presently freeze the assets of the Central Bank of Iran and halt purchases of Iranian oil”.

But it added that “if Iran wants a negotiation in good faith, as our countries have always wished to know, it is possible”.

A recent report by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Iran’s nuclear programme said the country engaged in nuclear weapons-related research activities.

Iran has dismissed the report as fabricated by Western countries and insisted the country’s nuclear activities are purely for peaceful purposes.

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