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Long-term nuclear deal from EU for Iran
Tehran, Iran: The European Union has offered Iran long-term support on Friday for its civilian nuclear program if the country pledges not to develop atomic weapons.

An Iranian government spokesman confirmed receiving the 30-page offer and said that officials were reviewing the proposal. U.S. State Department officials in the meantime called on Iran to accept the offer.

According to a summary of the proposals released by the British Embassy in Tehran, cooperation on nuclear matters would be enhanced between Iran and the EU-3, Britain, France and Germany, allowing Iran access to the international nuclear technologies market.

The EU-3 also would "fully support long-term co-operation in the civil nuclear field between Iran and Russia," the summary said.

In February, Russia signed a deal with Iran to transfer nuclear fuel to Iran's $800 million power plant reactor in the southern city of Bushehr and move the spent fuel back to Russia. The United States has called on Russia not to go ahead with providing nuclear fuel for the plant, fearing Iran has a nuclear weapons program. Russian President Vladimir Putin, in turn said that he was convinced Iran was not developing nuclear weapons.

The EU-3 has been negotiating with Iran to end its uranium enrichment program and faced a Monday deadline for presenting a comprehensive proposal of nuclear, economic and political incentives in exchange for a permanent freeze on it.

Iran agreed in November to suspend the enrichment program while negotiations continued, but now it says it is no longer bound by any agreement because the EU-3 missed the deadline.

The Iranian spokesman reiterated plans to resume uranium conversion at the Isfahan plant in central Iran once the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United Nations nuclear watchdog, installs new monitoring equipment. This is expected in a week.
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Cyprus dispute threatens to derail talks on Turkey's membership in the EU
Brussels: An escalating row over Ankara's refusal to recognise the government of Cyprus has left Turkey and France at loggerheads with each other and is threatening to derail the start of talks on Turkish membership of the European Union.

Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish Prime Minister, said he was "saddened" by recent comments from Paris and ruled out the prospect of a shift of position over Cyprus before the beginning of the accession negotiations.

However, France immediately stepped up its pressure on Ankara when Philippe Douste-Blazy, the Foreign Minister, said that the Turkish position was "not acceptable".

The rift could wreck plans to open the EU accession talks on 3 October. Before the talks can start, all 25 EU countries, including France and Cyprus, have to agree on a document setting out the framework for discussions, which are expected to last a decade.

Ankara recognises only the breakaway Turkish Cypriot enclave in the north of Cyprus. The island was partitioned in 1974, when Turkish troops invaded the island, following a failed coup by supporters of a union with Greece. That position has become increasingly difficult since the Greek Cypriot government in the south joined the EU last year as the sole legitimate representative of the island off Turkey's south coast.

Britain has the backing of the European Commission in arguing that recognition of Cyprus was never identified as a precondition for starting membership talks with Turkey. It says that the status of the island should be resolved within the framework of separate United Nations discussions.
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