The Second Berlin Conference started in Germany. The problems of the civil war in Libya, and the organization of the upcoming elections in December will be discussed in the meeting. Foreign Minister Mevlüt Çavuşoğlu represents Turkey at the meeting. The provisional government of Libya participates in the conference for the first time along with Germany, Turkey, USA, Russia, United Emirates and Egypt. The main agenda of the conference is the withdrawal of foreign armed forces from the country and the organization of general elections to be held on 24 December in Libya.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arakchi issued a stern warning to the UK, Germany, and France, accusing them of making a “new strategic mistake” regarding Tehran’s nuclear program. In a social media post, Arakchi said, “Iran will give a tough and determined response to the violation of its rights,” criticizing the European trio for backing a resolution against Iran at the IAEA Board of Governors.
Arakchi condemned the move as baseless, recalling past disputes in 2005 which led to the expansion of Iran’s uranium enrichment. “Have these three really not learned any lessons in the last twenty years?” he said.
Meanwhile, the IAEA reported on May 31 that Iran’s 60% enriched uranium stockpile had grown from 274.8 kg in February to 408.6 kg by May 17. In response, the UK, Germany, and France are reportedly preparing to refer Iran’s file to the UN Security Council, which could activate the “snapback” mechanism and reimpose UN sanctions.
TR