英字新聞

The Yomiuri Shimbun October 21, 2013
Is a diplomatic solution on horizon over Iran’s nuclear program?
イラン核協議　外交的解決へ動き出すのか（10月20日付・読売社説）

Is it possible that the problem of Iran’s nuclear development program is moving toward a diplomatic solution? We should keep a close eye on this issue.
　イラン核問題が外交的解決に向け動き出すのかどうか。注視したい。

In recent talks in what is referred to as P5-plus-1 countries, the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council—the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China—plus Germany, Iran has come up with a new proposal for constraining its nuclear program in return for easing international economic sanctions that have battered the Iranian economy.
　イランが、国連安全保障理事会常任理事国（米英仏露中）にドイツを加えた６か国との協議で、経済制裁緩和を条件に核開発を抑制するという新提案を行った。

The six powers have highly evaluated the Iranian proposal as an “important contribution” that could be conducive to accelerating future talks. The release of a joint statement at the close of the talks on Oct. 15 and 16, the first of its kind, also appears promising.
　６か国側は協議への「重要な貢献」と評価した。共同声明が初めて発表されたのも良い兆候だ。

Although details of the talks have not been disclosed, Iranian officials said Tehran is set to rein in uranium enrichment levels. Iran appears to have made some concessions to the six major powers, which have demanded that Iran stop producing uranium enriched to 20 percent, a level that could lead to the manufacture of nuclear weapons.
　詳細は未公表だが、イラン側によるとウラン濃縮の「レベル」を制限するという。核爆弾製造につながる濃縮度２０％のウランの生産停止を要求してきた６か国に、イランが歩み寄ったとも言える。

Talks between Iran and the six countries have been held since 2008, but no progress has been made because of Tehran’s negative attitude.
　イランと６か国の核協議は、２００８年から行われてきたが、イランは消極的態度に終始し、進展は見られなかった。

During the stalemate, Israel hinted at the possibility of attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities. With the heightening of tensions, a war of nerves racked the countries involved.
　その間、イスラエルがイランの核施設を攻撃する可能性をちらつかせた。緊張が高まり、関係国間では神経戦が続いてきた。

Whether Iran’s new proposal will push the talks forward remains uncertain.
　今回の新提案を機に協議が進展するのか、なお不透明だ。

Iran has taken a more positive stance since Hassan Rouhani, a moderate, took office as president of the Islamic republic in August in the wake of growing public discontent with the country’s severe economic hardships.
　イランが積極姿勢に転じたのは、経済困難に対する国民の不満の高まりを背景に、穏健派のロハニ大統領が選出されてからだ。

Obama’s leadership tested

Economic sanctions imposed at the initiative of the United States and European countries have halved Iran’s oil exports, the key source of revenue, causing inflation to spiral upward unchecked.
　イランでは、米欧主導による経済制裁を科せられているため、主な収入源の原油輸出が半減し、急激なインフレが進んでいる。

It seems the new Iranian president wants to resuscitate the faltering economy by having the United States and Europe lift the sanctions after offering a compromise.
　大統領には、核協議で米欧と妥協を図って制裁を解除させ、経済立て直しを図りたいとの思惑がうかがえる。

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who has a final say in the country’s decision-making, basically appears to be in favor of Rouhani’s policies.
最終決定権を握る最高指導者ハメネイ師も、そうした方針を容認しているのだろう。

However, the leadership of U.S. President Barack Obama will now be tested.
　オバマ米大統領の手腕が問われる局面でもある。

Although Washington has had a hostile relationship with Tehran since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution, Obama, in recent talks with Rouhani by phone, reached an agreement with the Iranian president to work together for a diplomatic solution to the nuclear problem.
米国は革命後のイランと敵対的な関係を続けてきたが、オバマ氏はロハニ大統領と電話で会談し、核問題の外交的解決を目指すことで一致した。

If the United States embarks on actions to improve its relations with Iran, one of the Middle East’s major powers and a leading oil-producing country, the U.S. position in the region could be strengthened.
　米国が、有数の産油国である地域大国イランとの関係改善に踏み出せば、中東における戦略的立場の強化に役立とう。

Negotiations with Iran, however, must be based on the premise of stopping Iran from going nuclear.
　ただ、イランとの交渉には、核武装化の阻止があくまでも前提とならねばならない。

With the nuclear talks scheduled to resume next month, it is imperative for the six major powers to have Iran show its commitment through “meaningful, transparent and verifiable actions” never to undertake any project to develop nuclear weapons, as demanded by the United States.
　核協議は来月に再開されるが、米国が主張するように、イランから、核兵器開発を決して行わないことを示す「有意義、透明かつ検証可能な行動」を引き出すことが肝要である。

Israel, for its part, does not disguise its intense distrust of Iran, saying Tehran “should be tested by its actions, not its proposals.”
　イスラエルは、「提案ではなく、実際の行動」を見極めるとし、イランへの不信感を隠さない。

Whether fears of Israel launching a military strike against Iran can be dispelled depends largely on how Tehran behaves from now on.
　イスラエルによる軍事攻撃の懸念を払拭できるかどうかは、イランの今後の出方にかかっていると言えよう。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 20, 2013)
（2013年10月20日01時26分 読売新聞）