Kofi Annan urges Iran to drop defiant stance

The UN Secy General has urged Tehran to drop its defiant stance and hoped the EU move would prove successful.

As the European Union tried to put together a package of incentives for Iran to make it abandon its uranium enrichment programme, UN Secretary General Kofi Annan has urged Tehran to drop its defiant stance and hoped the EU move would prove successful.

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"No one is saying that they (Iran) are not entitled to peaceful use of nuclear energy, but they have a responsibility to communicate and to show that their intention is peaceful," Annan told reporters on Wednesday after he discussed the issue with members of the Security Council.

He, however said the international community would need some reassurance.

"It's important that the Iranians remain open and that they back away from this aggressive posture and be open to discussion."

"When a package is put together and they discuss it, including enhanced inspections and other things, the Iranians and the international community will be able to come to a clear understanding," he said.

Annan expressed the hope that the intensified Council attention to Iran nuclear programme would lead to a diplomatic resolution of the matter and advised Tehran to pursue dialogue on the issue.