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France to send envoy to Iran for nuclear talks
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent, and Agencies
Tags: Israel News, U.S., France 

While the Obama administration formulates its policy toward Iran, France will soon dispatch a senior emissary to the Islamic Republic for talks with officials in Tehran.

Following a report by the International Atomic Energy Agency indicating that Iran had amassed sufficient quantities of enriched uranium to produce an atomic bomb, Israel this past weekend called on the international community "to ratchet up the pressure on Tehran so that it will abandon its nuclear program."

The French official to be tapped by President Nicolas Sarkozy to meet with the Iranians is Gerard Araud, who holds the title of political and security director-general of the French foreign ministry. Araud has been France's point man in the six-power talks - which include the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany - with Iran. Two years ago, he concluded a stint as Paris' ambassador to Israel.
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Two weeks ago, Araud called on the U.S. to expedite the formulation of its policy of dialogue with Iran. Washington ought to take a "one-time shot" at talks with Iran, Araud said. Should those talks fail, the international community must impose a significantly harsher set of sanctions.

A diplomatic official in Jerusalem said the move represents a noteworthy shift given that Javier Solana, the European Union's top foreign policy official, has thus far been the front man in talks with Iran over its nuclear program.

"The French do not anticipate any extraordinary results from this visit," the diplomatic source said. "But they want to take part in preparing the groundwork for dialogue between the West and Iran."

Israel's ambassador to the U.S. on Friday called for the world to take "immediate and serious action" after a United Nations report revealed that Iran has acquired enough uranium for a nuclear bomb, Fox News reported on Friday.

"It's an extremely worrisome report. ... It emphasizes that with every day passing, Iran is getting closer to a nuclear military capacity," he said. "The world must take immediate and serious action in order to prevent this nightmare from happening," Meridor said.

Meridor did not describe what steps the international community should take, but said that "sanctions should be enhanced significantly" adding that "we are at a very, very serious and dangerous juncture to world peace."

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      1.   Please Stay Out 01:19  |  JJ 22/02/09
      2.   Why? 01:23  |  Steve from Raleigh 22/02/09
      3.   West has been messing around with Iran for years-its too late now 01:28  |  Alan SA 22/02/09
      4.   This extremely serious situation warrants.... 01:46  |  Stephen. 22/02/09
      5.   And what is France going to do? 02:14  |  Maureen Ann 22/02/09
      6.   above 02:19  |  moishe 22/02/09
      7.   Natenyahu was right to bring the question of Iran 02:31  |  Akram Zekaria 22/02/09
      8.   Two Faced 02:44  |  Cool B 22/02/09
      9.   What is Saudia and Egypt position on the issue ? 02:49  |  Joseph.E 22/02/09
      10.   Start From UNSCR 1697, Araud 04:41  |  Jeff Northridge 22/02/09
      11.   were busy 05:24  |  morgan 22/02/09
      12.   Looking for a glory 05:51  |  Mark Lincoln 22/02/09
      13.   #4, Stephen, "Iran has to be stopped ASAP" 06:30  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/02/09
      14.   JJ Are nukes in the hands of "A nation of martyrs 08:15  |  PETER SM 22/02/09
      15.   yada,yada,yada 08:23  |  Ze 22/02/09
      16.   Iran`s nuclear threat and the West. 08:25  |  Jean Van Daem 22/02/09
      17.   Iran and nukes 09:10  |  Gary Tomasch 22/02/09
      18.   NO POINT OF TALKING, GO HOME FRANCE 09:25  |  indrajaya 22/02/09
      19.   COOL B All the Mullahs have to do is renounce the NPT 09:39  |  PETER SM 22/02/09
      20.   Mission Impossible! 09:52  |  Rohan 22/02/09
      21.   If Khatami gets elected in summer, the world will accept..... 10:32  |  Swiss (Dino) 22/02/09
      22.   Iran & nukes 10:35  |  Elina 22/02/09
      23.   JJ Nukes in the hands of Islamist Iran with a restive EU Muslim 10:38  |  PETER SM 22/02/09
      24.   MAUREEN Inn the medium term France & the EU will be able to tell 10:46  |  PETER SM 22/02/09
      25.   #18, Dino, wrong, totally wrong 10:55  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/02/09
      26.   The Iran bomb: Everybody talks about it... 11:41  |  Natallie Durson 22/02/09
      27.   #.18. Dino. 12:23  |  Stephen. 22/02/09
      28.   Elina # 19 Some Advice 16:31  |  Jeff Northridge 22/02/09
      29.   The French official 16:35  |  Dav 22/02/09
      30.   Chemical weapons, gas aso. 16:58  |  European 22/02/09
      31.   #18 SWISS DINO, YOU MISSED THE 2 MAIN POINTS... 17:09  |  MOSHEH 22/02/09
      32.   Jeff, #28 17:42  |  Elina 22/02/09
      33.   #32 Elina Jeff forgot to add that Israel has 200 nuclear weapons 20:15  |  Labhras 22/02/09
      34.   Droit international 21:46  |  Naïf 22/02/09
      35.   Looking for peace in all the wrong places! 22:22  |  Ivar 22/02/09
      36.   Elina some good advice re Jeff,s bad advice 22:24  |  Labhras 22/02/09
      37.   Elina some good advice re Jeff,s bad advice 22:24  |  Labhras 22/02/09
      38.   Nuclear Iran and Europe 23:07  |  arik 22/02/09
      39.   #34, Naif, "droit international" 23:45  |  Cipora Julianna Kohn 22/02/09
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