BLOMBERG - German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder expressed optimism on Monday that diplomatic efforts will convince Iran to use its nuclear programme for purely peaceful purposes.
Schroeder said he had been reassured that a solution could be reached following US President George W. Bush's visit to Europe two weeks ago.
"We are hopeful that, in the negotiations, we will have enough persuasive force to convince the Iranian leadership to adopt a positive position," he said after talks in northern Germany with French President Jacques Chirac.
Schroeder said that Germany, France and Britain, the so-called European Union three, were in full agreement on how to encourage Iran to respect its obligations to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
"We have identical positions on Iran. We want Iranian leaders to give up any attempts to stock and produce nuclear arms, and to use any atomic programme for peaceful purposes only," he said.
The EU-3 are trying to convince Iran to dismantle its nuclear fuel work which the United States says is part of a covert atomic weapons development programme, in return for economic and political rewards.
But Iran insists its nuclear programme is purely for civilian energy needs.
03/07/2005 14:39 GMT