Group of Eight powers Friday deplored violence in Iran after the disputed presidential election and called on Tehran to resolve the crisis through democratic dialogue. But the G8 foreign ministers were careful not to slam the door on possible talks with Iran over its nuclear program. They encouraged Tehran to accept an offer of nuclear negotiations although they said it had a limited time to do so. On Middle East peace efforts, the ministers called on Israelis and Palestinians to resume direct negotiations and backed US President Barack Obama's call for a total freeze on construction in Jewish settlements in the occupied West Bank, including “natural growth” of existing settlements. The G8, which includes the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Canada and Russia, said a nuclear test conducted last month by North Korea was a “threat to regional peace and stability.” About 20 people have been killed in protests over Iran's June 12 presidential election result, the worst unrest since the 1979 revolution. Iran has accused the United States and Britain, two G8 members, of inciting the protests. “We deplore post-electoral violence, which led to the loss of lives of Iranian civilians. We ... urge Iran to respect fundamental human rights,” the ministers said in a statement after a meeting in the northern Italian port city of Trieste. Iran's top legislative body, the Guardian Council, said on Friday it had found no major violations in the election, which it called the “healthiest” vote since the 1979 revolution. Moscow was quick to congratulate Ahmadinejad on winning the election, but Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov voiced serious concern about the use of force in Iran. On Middle East peace, the G8 called on Israel and the Palestinians to “re-enter direct negotiations on all standing issues consistent with the road map”. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said this week he intended to allow continued building within existing settlements in the West Bank to accommodate the “natural growth” of families. ON NORTH KOREA “We condemn in the strongest terms the nuclear test conducted on 25 May in violation of UNSC resolution 1718 and the rocket launch of 5 April which constitute a threat to regional peace and stability. “We urge DPRK to fulfill its obligations under relevant UNSC Resolutions, to abandon all nuclear weapons and existing nuclear programs as well as ballistic missile programmes, which affect international security, and to return to full compliance with its international obligations.” ON MYANMAR “We are deeply concerned about recent developments. A real process of dialogue and national reconciliation is needed, with the full participation of representatives of all political parties and ethnic groups, leading to transparent, fair and democratic multiparty elections.”
