- OTTAWA (Reuters) - President
Bush on Tuesday welcomed a decision by Iran to freeze sensitive nuclear
activities but said that was not the final step and the Islamic republic
needed to go further to show its commitment to abandoning nuclear weapons
ambitions.
-
- "The Iranians agreed to suspend but not terminate
their nuclear weapons program. Our position is that they ought to terminate
their nuclear weapons program," Bush said during a joint news conference
with Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin.
-
- In his first public comments on Iran since the U.N. nuclear
watchdog agency on Monday passed a resolution approving Iran's week-old
suspension of sensitive nuclear activities, Bush said Iran had "obviously
got more work to do."
-
- The passage of the resolution by the International Atomic
Energy Agency allowed Iran to escape censure over its nuclear program.
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- Bush reiterated U.S. demands that the suspension must
be verifiable.
-
- "I viewed yesterday's decision by the Iranians as
a positive step, but it is certainly not the final step and it is very
important for whatever they do to make sure that the world is able to verify
the decision they have made," Bush said.
-
- "It is taking a long time to get to the stage where
Iran is willing to suspend," he added.
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