Wed, 15th October 2008   COONAN URGES CONTINUED PRESSURE ON IRAN

Senator the Hon Helen Coonan   Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs   Manager of Opposition Business in the Senate

Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister Helen Coonan has this afternoon extended  Coalition support for the expansion of bilateral sanctions against Iran in response to  Tehran’s continued failure to adhere to United Nations Security Council resolutions.

“The Coalition opposes proliferation of nuclear weapons,” Senator Coonan said.

“In Government, we supported the United Nations Security Council resolutions  calling for Iran to open its program to inspections by the International Atomic Energy  Agency with the intent of halting what we assessed was a nuclear weapons program.

“The international community has sent many unambiguous messages to Iran that it  must fulfil its international obligations and to stop uranium enrichment and  reprocessing activities.

“International coordination of responses is vital. By meeting the level of European  Union sanctions, Australia is playing its part.

“Australia should keep up its pressure on Iran over failing to adhere to UNSC  resolutions, not agreeing to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s requirements  for inspections of all facilities and full clarification of Tehran’s nuclear policy.

“The Coalition considers that Iran remains committed to its indigenous development  of nuclear energy and that its strategy may also extend to the development of  nuclear weapons. Proliferation of nuclear weapons is a grave threat to the stability of  world order.

“Iran’s commitment under its current and previous leaders to develop nuclear energy  and intent to maintain a weapons option looks likely to continue.

“Iran’s right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and its increasing need  for energy, must be acknowledged,” Senator Coonan said.

Senator Coonan said that the IAEA’s September report noted that it was monitoring  nuclear material under enrichment in Iran but that Iran had not agreed to provide  explanation about studies to weaponise nuclear material.

“We urge the Rudd Labor Government to take into full consideration the IAEA’s view,  as the authorised UN agency treating technical and operational aspects of nuclear  issues, that Iran remains committed to enrichment. This is not likely to be reversed  and pursuit of non-proliferation inspections and verification regime must be part of  future international responses to Iran’s activity,” Senator Coonan said.

On a separate issue, the Coalition also strongly condemns the statement made by  President Ahmadinejad in his address to the UN Assembly.

Despite comments made in Opposition, the Labor Government has now obtained  legal advice that initiating legal action is not likely to be successful.

“I urge the Rudd Labor Government to remain vigilant in strongly condemning and  standing up against abhorrent anti-Semitic comments whenever they are made,”  Senator Coonan said.

