Wednesday, March 8 2006 18:08 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Vienna: Iran must stop uranium enrichment work and cooperate fully with United Nations inspectors if it is to avoid scrutiny from the UN Security Council, the European Union told a meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, today (Mar 08 2006).

Thomas Seltzer, Austria's representative to the International Atomic Energy Agency, said that if Iran failed to comply, "the Security Council should now put its weight behind the (IAEA) board's requests and the IAEA's efforts to resolve outstanding questions."

Seltzer, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the European Union, urged Iran "to reinstate a full suspension of all (uranium) enrichment-related and reprocessing activities."

He was reiterating a statement issued by EU foreign ministers on February 27. He said a report by IAEA director general Mohamed ElBaradei to the agency's 35-nation board showed that "progress has not been made."

"The EU therefore notes with concern the overall assessment contained in the (ElBaradei) report that although all declared nuclear material has been accounted for, after three years of intensive verification, the agency is still not in a position to conclude that there are no undeclared nuclear materials or activities in Iran," Seltzer said.

Seltzer also said the EU "agrees with the agency's assessment that it is regrettable and a matter of concern that the uncertainties relating to the scope and nature of Iran's nuclear programme have not been clarified."