Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso said his country's oil needs would not impact its opposition to the ``serious'' issue of Iran's processing of nuclear fuel.
An International Atomic Energy Agency reported yesterday that Iran has expanded its capacity to enrich uranium, defying a United Nations Security Council demand to halt its atomic work. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said again yesterday that his nation wouldn't surrender its nuclear activities.
Iran's uranium enrichment would not affect oil imports from the country or Japanese involvement in the development of the Azadegan oil field there, Aso said.
``We do not implement policies that tolerate Iran's nuclear possession just because we want its oil,'' he said at a regular press conference in Tokyo.
Aso said Iran's decision to process uranium was ``serious,'' and that the Japanese government will watch closely other countries' reaction to Iran's nuclear ambition.
The UN Security Council on Dec. 23 unanimously voted to impose sanctions on Iran over its atomic program, including a ban on the acquisition of materials and technology that might be used to build nuclear weapons. It also froze the financial assets of named individuals and groups associated with the program and gave Iran 60 days to halt uranium enrichment.
Japan said on Feb. 16 that it will impose sanctions on Iran for its refusal to abandon its nuclear program, in line with measures taken by the United Nations in December. Aso said today that nothing has been decided on whether Japan will impose additional sanctions on Iran.
To contact the reporter on this story: Keiichi Yamamura in Tokyo at kyamamura@bloomberg.net ; Kiyori Ueno in Tokyo at kueno2@bloomberg.net
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