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European Union: adoption of an oil embargo is not unprecedented on Iran
01/23/2012 14:02
"Iraq's gate" Brussels - diplomatic sources said that the countries of the European Union agreed on Monday to impose an oil embargo gradually unprecedented to punish Iran and its central bank to try to halt the financing of its nuclear program.
He said one of the sources, "it was to reach a tentative agreement on a ban on Iranian oil" at a meeting of EU ambassadors in Brussels. Will be formally adopted at a meeting of EU foreign ministers later.
Under the settlement reached for an immediate ban on any new oil contracts between European countries and Iran. As required to cancel the contracts concluded during the transition period begins on the first of July / July
Continued intensive talks on this point between the Europeans until the last minute because of the frequency of Greece, which depends to a large extent on Iranian oil, which has sought to start for a break in pre-cut bridges.
It is assumed that other countries are oil producers, particularly in the Gulf, Iran's claim for supplies to European countries that depend on them.
Greece and to reassure European countries will discuss the issue again in the spring.
He said the draft statement said the EU foreign ministers' pledge to return to the issue of member states, which imports large quantities "of Iranian oil, in April at the latest.
Iran sells about twenty percent of its oil to European Union countries, especially Greece, Italy and Spain.
The bulk of its exports to Asia sends, so it seeks European Union and the United States in parallel to persuade Asian countries such as India to reduce its imports of Iranian oil.
The European Union aims to strengthen the pressure on Iran to agree to reconsider its controversial nuclear Western opinion, which aims to get the atomic bomb. Tehran maintains its program is part of a purely civilian.
The sanctions that target Iran's central bank, states to freeze assets in Europe and the partial ban of the business with him.
He said Iranian Foreign Minister Guido Westerwelle, "we can not accept the option of Iran has a nuclear weapon" because it "would be a danger, not only in the region but the entire world."
He added that "this is what makes it important to take the decisions of the European Union cut off funding for Iran's nuclear program."
As for his British counterpart, William Hague, has said that "Iran continues to defy UN Security Council resolutions." He described the explanations provided by Iran about its uranium enrichment program as "unreasonable."
Israel welcomed the new European sanctions on Iran. Said Dan Meridor, Vice Prime Minister and in charge of intelligence, told army radio that "the tightening of the sanctions and the tone adopted by the Europeans is important because it confirms that Iran is unacceptable to continue its nuclear program."
Meridor said that "Iran must understand that there is a determination to prevent it from acquiring nuclear weapons."
The Secretary of State of the European Union, Catherine Ashton said on arrival in Brussels on Monday, "We will put the finishing touches on the sanctions on the Central Bank, oil exports to Iran" to get "on taking our offer to return to the negotiating table seriously."
The EU decided to freeze the assets in the past 433 Iranian companies and 113 people and the imposition of restrictions on the export of many of the sensitive materials to Iran and the prohibition of investments in the oil sector.
In London, oil prices rose slightly pending the official announcement of the European sanctions on Iran.
The price of a barrel of oil benchmark Brent North Sea remote start exchanges 110.29 dollars in London, up 43 cents from the closing price Friday.
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