The European Union pledged today to make Iran a generous offer of technology, economic and other incentives but said Tehran must comply first with international demands to halt sensitive nuclear activities.
The 25-member bloc wants to present Iran with a choice of accepting the offer, expected to be delivered around the end of the month, or risk seeing international support grow for a UN resolution that would pave the way for possible sanctions.
"It will be a generous package, a bold package that will contain issues related to nuclear, economic matters and maybe if necessary security matters," EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana told reporters before a meeting of EU foreign ministers.
A draft statement for Monday's EU meeting stated the EU could help Tehran develop "a safe, sustainable and proliferation-proof civilian nuclear programme" while stipulating it halt all enrichment activities on its soil.
But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said yesterday Iran would not accept any EU offer if it included a demand that Tehran stop what he called peaceful nuclear activities.
Mr Solana said the EU wanted to present it to Iran in the coming weeks simultaneously with the approval of a UN resolution calling on Tehran to halt enrichment of uranium or face consequences.