Nuclear agreement between Iran and three European powers

Iran and three European nations have reached an agreement concerning &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/mailbox/22/101/399/14216_threat.html ' target=_blank>Iran’s nuclear program after two days of talks in Paris.

The BBC said a provisional agreement has been reached that must be approved by governments in Iran, Britain, &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/18/89/355/12081_exhaust.html ' target=_blank>Germany, France and the European Union.

"The agreement will have to be approved at the highest levels of government," Iranian delegation spokesman Hussein Mousavian told Iranian TV. "My impression is that if this is approved by all four parties, we will witness an important change in Iran's relations with Europe and much of the international community in (the) not-too-distant future", wrote the Washington Times.

According to the Houston Chronicle, diplomats in Austria familiar with the talks outcome declined to discuss details. "One or two points remain outstanding, and they hope to resolve those outstanding points by Wednesday," one diplomat in Austria told The Associated Press.

In proposals to Iran last month, Britain, Germany and France offered a trade deal and peaceful nuclear technology -- including a light-water research reactor -- if Iran pledged to indefinitely suspend uranium enrichment and related activities such as reprocessing uranium and building centrifuges used to enrich it.

Europe and &to=http:// english.pravda.ru/main/2003/02/10/43193.html ' target=_blank>Washington fear Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons, but Tehran denies such claims, saying its atomic program has peaceful aims, including energy production.

Iran is allowed to have an enrichment program under the terms of the international Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, but the U.S. fears the technology could be used to produce weapons.

The deal could prevent the issue from being sent to the United Nations Security Council, where the U.S. says it will ask for economic sanctions against Iran.