Bush, ministers reach agreement on Iran

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KRANJ, Slovenia, June 10 (UPI) -- The United States and the European Union reached a strategy to induce Iran to back off its nuclear plans during the EU summit, U.S. President George Bush said.

"We've always made it clear to the Iranians there's a better way forward; that if they want to have a relationship with the ... United States and other countries ... all they've got to do is verifiably suspend their enrichment program," Bush said Tuesday during a joint news conference in Kranj, Slovenia, with Slovenian Prime Minister Janez Jansa and European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso.

Iran has brushed aside the International Atomic Energy Agency in the past and "can't be trusted with enrichment," Bush said.

Bush and his counterparts reaffirmed the dual-track strategy for Iran's nuclear program. They agreed to implement U.N. Security Council sanctions and said other measures could be considered.

"A group of countries can send a clear message to the Iranians, and that is, we're going to continue to isolate you; we'll continue to work on sanctions; we'll find new sanctions if need be if you continue to deny the just demands of a free world, which is to give up your enrichment program," Bush said.

"Nobody alone can solve all problems," Jansa said. "Even together we are not able to solve all of them, but if we don't work together and we are not able to form even stronger alliance, then I'm afraid we won't succeed."