We need US support in pressuring Iran, French FM tells Rice

PARIS, Feb 8 (AFP) - France, Britain and Germany need the United States to add its weight to diplomatic efforts to rein in Iran's nuclear programme, French Foreign Minister Michel Barnier told his US counterpart, Condoleezza Rice, at a Paris media conference.
For the pressure to work, "we need Russia, we need China, and we also need the support of the United States in this delicate phase," Barnier said.
The three EU powers have extracted a promise from Tehran to suspend nuclear activities in return for trade privileges.
The United States, however, has not participated in the negotiations and has instead made increasingly alarming noises about Iran's potential to produce nuclear weapons.
Rice, standing next to Barnier, said: "The Europeans have given the Iranians an opportunity to live up to their obligations. We hope they seize that."

02/08/2005 19:50 GMT - AFP