Berlin, Oct 22: Germany urged Iran to follow through on its promise to open its nuclear programme to international inspections, warning today that it would be monitoring compliance "very carefully." "We are realists," a Foreign Ministry spokesman said in Berlin.
"We will be looking very carefully to see how it is implemented, and we are doing that now," he told a regular government press briefing.
He was speaking after the foreign ministers of Britain, France and Germany returned from an unprecedented joint mission to Iran, during which they won a series of concessions from the Islamic regime.
Iran announced it would sign a protocol to a non-proliferation treaty which will allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to carry out surprise visits to suspect facilities.
Tehran also promised "full transparency," reiterated its commitment to the treaty and said it would suspend all uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities.
It came just 10 days before the expiry of an IAEA ultimatum to Iran to come clean about its nuclear programme.
The German Foreign Ministry spokesman said attention would now focus on how Tehran fulfils its side of the deal.
If it did, "then other possible elements could be discussed, but it is far too early to begin making concrete plans on that."
Bureau Report