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White House Report, January 3: Iran, North Korea

Iran urged to abide by international agreement on uranium enrichment activity

WHITE HOUSE URGES IRAN TO "COME CLEAN" WITH IAEA

White House press secretary Scott McClellan said Iran needs to abide by its agreements and international obligations designed to prevent its development of nuclear weapons, and urged Tehran to "come clean and cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA]."

Speaking January 3, McClellan said the United States continues to support efforts by France, Germany and the United Kingdom to resolve the international community's concerns over Iran's nuclear program "in a peaceful and diplomatic way."

Earlier in the day, the IAEA said it had been notified by Iranian authorities that Iran plans to resume nuclear fuel research the week of January 8.

In reply, the IAEA urged Iran to "maintain its suspension of all enrichment-related activity," according to press reports.

McClellan said Iran has "made some agreements and they need to abide by those agreements and act in a good faith way in the negotiations."

U.S. TRADE SANCTIONS ON NORTH KOREA NOT A TOPIC FOR NEGOTIATION

McClellan said North Korea's demand that U.S. trade sanctions be lifted are "not a subject to negotiation," and said Pyongyang's request is "yet another in a long list of pretexts for delay" in talks concerning its nuclear weapons program.

The press secretary said the sanctions, imposed by the U.S. Department of Treasury, are designed to combat illicit activities North Korea is engaged in, "whether it's counterfeiting U.S. money, engaging in drugs or proliferation of weapons technology," and the United States will continue to "take action to stop them" from engaging in such activities.

The sanctions, McClellan said, are "a matter of protecting our national interest and combating their illicit activities that they are engaged in, the regime in North Korea. It is not a subject to negotiation."

As for the Six-Party Talks involving North Korea, South Korea, Japan, Russia, China and the United States, McClellan said an agreement had been reached at the previous round and "We want to see progress made on moving forward on the principles that were agreed to.

"The other parties to the talks have made clear to North Korea that they expect North Korea to make good on the agreed to statement, and to give up its nuclear weapons and programs promptly and verifiably," he said.

Source: U.S. Department of State