Schroeder and Bush Agree on Unified Front Against Iran’s Weapons Program

President George W. Bush met with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder Monday at the White House to talk about Iran's nuclear ambitions among other things. VOA's Crystal Park reports.

President Bush urged Chancellor Schroeder to keep working with Britain and France to negotiate limits to Iran's nuclear program.

The president said he wanted "to send a focused, concerted, unified message that says the development of a nuclear weapon is unacceptable and a process which would enable Iran to develop a nuclear weapon is unacceptable."

Mr. Schroeder said he agreed with the president's message. Germany, along with Britain and France, have offered Tehran economic concessions, but only if Iran stops all uranium enrichment activities. The United States believes Iran's nuclear program is aimed at building atomic weapons.

Speaking in London, British Prime Minister Tony Blair said Iranian President-elect Mahmoud Ahmadinejad must live up to what Iran has promised. "Our view, very strongly, is that those obligations that [Iran] has entered into have to be upheld. And he would be making a serious mistake if he thought we were going to go soft on him because we are not."

Iran has suspended enrichment activities as a goodwill gesture for the negotiations, but this suspension is temporary. On Sunday, President-elect pledged to restart the program, claiming Iran needs the technology for energy, medical, and agricultural purposes.