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Italy urges G8 firmness on Iran G8 ministers mull Iran response
(about 5 hours later)
Italy's foreign minister has said G8 countries will adopt a "tough" stance towards Iran over post-election unrest. Foreign ministers from G8 countries are trying to agree a joint response to post-election violence in Iran.
Franco Frattini was speaking as G8 foreign minsters prepared to meet for three days of talks in northern Italy. Italy, which is hosting a three-day ministers summit, said the group would adopt a "tough" stance towards Iran.
But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that isolating Iran would be the "wrong approach" for the G8. But Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said isolating Iran would be the wrong approach and engagement was key.
Iran is no longer expected to attend the talks, which had been due to focus on the future stability of its neighbour, Afghanistan. The summit, being held in Trieste, is the first high-level meeting of leading western countries since the election-related violence began in Iran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki withdrew at the last minute after Italy made it clear he was not welcome. Iran had been invited to attend the talks, which were originally intended to focus on the future of neighbouring Afghanistan, but is no longer taking part.
Earlier this week he said he had "no plans to travel to Italy". Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the ministers assembled in Trieste were "working on a document that should condemn the violence and the repression" in Iran.
Mr Frattini said Iran was "at a turning point" following the post-election street clashes, in which at least 17 people have been killed. He said any such document would stress that electoral procedures were an internal Iranian matter and that the international community "can't recount the vote".
''It must choose whether or not to keep the door open to dialogue with the international community," he said. The hand extended by the United States, which we have supported, cannot come back with blood on it Franco Frattini
"The hand extended by the United States, which we have supported, cannot come back with blood on it. But following meetings with Mr Frattini, Mr Lavrov warned that seeking to isolate Iran was "the wrong approach".
''We will adopt a particularly tough and clear position." "Engagement is the key word," he said.
But after a meeting with Mr Frattini, Mr Lavrov said "no-one" wanted to condemn Tehran and that isolating Iran was "the wrong approach". Mr Lavrov said he and Mr Frattini had agreed to "develop a language" which would allow them to "concentrate on the main task - to move toward resolving the issues of the Iranian nuclear programme".
Earlier, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said a draft statement would be examined by ministers at a working dinner on Thursday evening, but there was not yet full agreement on its content. He said "no one" was prepared to condemn the election process, because it was "an exercise in democracy".
"Not everyone is in favour of condemnation, but we do need a firm statement in Trieste. We will do this," he told reporters in Paris before leaving for Italy. Earlier, Mr Frattini had said Iran was "at a turning point" following the post-election street clashes and ''must choose whether or not to keep the door open to dialogue with the international community".
"The hand extended by the United States, which we have supported, cannot come back with blood on it," he said.
French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner has also said the summit should produce a firm statement, but that not everyone was in favour of condemnation.
The BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Rome says the summit would have offered a rare chance for G8 ministers to meet senior Iranian diplomats to discuss the country's controversial nuclear programme.
'Future engagement''Future engagement'
At least 25 people are thought to have died in post-election violence At least 25 people are thought to have died in Iran's post-election violence
The BBC's Duncan Kennedy in Rome says it remains to be seen whether Russia and China would support a strong statement on Iran, but a consensus appears to be forming that a strong and united international response is needed. The three-day foreign minsters' summit is expected to address global security, nuclear non-proliferation, piracy and combating extremist violence.
The three-day G8 Trieste summit is expected to address global security, nuclear non-proliferation, piracy and combating extremist violence.
Its primary focus was intended to be the stabilisation of Afghanistan so Iran, as a neighbouring country, had been invited to attend.Its primary focus was intended to be the stabilisation of Afghanistan so Iran, as a neighbouring country, had been invited to attend.
But the recent unrest in Iran, which is thought to have left at least 25 people dead, has changed the agenda of the talks. But Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki withdrew from the summit at the last minute after Italy made it clear he was not welcome, following street violence which has left at least 25 people dead.
Tehran says the protests are illegal and the election result is accurate. Earlier this week, Mr Mottaki said he had "no plans to travel to Italy".
The talks would have offered a rare chance for G8 ministers to meet senior Iranian diplomats to discuss the country's controversial nuclear programme, says our correspondent.
On Wednesday, Mr Frattini met Iran's charge d'affaires in Rome to discuss Mr Mottaki's absence from the talks, the AFP news agency quoted a ministry statement as saying.On Wednesday, Mr Frattini met Iran's charge d'affaires in Rome to discuss Mr Mottaki's absence from the talks, the AFP news agency quoted a ministry statement as saying.
Rome said it hoped that "in the future Iran will be able to engage in a profitable way in the process of regional stabilisation in Afghanistan".Rome said it hoped that "in the future Iran will be able to engage in a profitable way in the process of regional stabilisation in Afghanistan".