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<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">January 12, 2006 <i>(2:30 p.m. EST)</i><br>
No. 3</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 14pt"><span style="font-weight: bold">CANADA EXPRESSES SERIOUS CONCERN ABOUT IRAN’S
RESUMPTION OF URANIUM ENRICHMENT-RELATED ACTIVITIES</span></span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">The Government of Canada today issued the following statement regarding Iran’s
resumption of uranium enrichment-related activities: </span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Canada is deeply concerned by Iran’s unilateral and unwarranted decision to resume
uranium enrichment-related activities, which it had agreed to suspend in
November 2004 as part of a negotiated agreement with France, Germany and the
United Kingdom (known as the European trio). </span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Iran’s recent actions and past non-compliance with its obligations under the Nuclear
Non-Proliferation Treaty are now clearly a matter of international peace and security
that is within the competence of the United Nations Security Council.</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“Canada supports the call for an extraordinary meeting of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors to report the matter to the United Nations
Security Council (UNSC) at the earliest opportunity. The Government of Canada deeply
regrets that Iran’s confrontational actions have led to an impasse in the European trio’s
diplomatic efforts and urges Iran to fully suspend all uranium enrichment activities,
including conversion, without further delay in order to address the international
community’s serious concerns about its nuclear program. The involvement of the UNSC
is now necessary in order to reinforce the authority of the IAEA and the credibility of the
multilateral nuclear non-proliferation system, and to help facilitate a diplomatic solution,
to which Canada remains committed. </span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">“This latest step by Iran constitutes further defiance of successive IAEA resolutions and
a violation of Iran’s commitments to the European trio. It is also particularly worrisome
given Iran’s resumption of uranium conversion last August and its rejection of a
comprehensive long-term offer from France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
Canada fully supported the adoption, last September, of the IAEA resolution finding
Iran in non-compliance with its safeguards requirements.”</span></span></p>
<br>
<p style="text-align: center"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">- 30 -</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">For further information, media representatives may contact:</span></span></p>
<br>
<p><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt">Media Relations Office<br>
Foreign Affairs Canada<br>
(613) 995-1874<br>
</span></span><a href="https://bac-lac.wayback.archive-it.org/web/20070221013015/http://www.international.gc.ca/"><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #0000ff"><span style="text-decoration: underline">http://www.international.gc.ca</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: 'Arial', sans-serif"><span style="font-size: 12pt"><span style="color: #000000"></span></span></span></p>
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