Talking to Iran About Nuclear Nonproliferation

Last March Project Ploughshares hosted a roundtable on Nuclear Issues in Relation to Iran. It was organized in cooperation with the Mennonite Central Committee (MCC) and the Ottawa Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran. The 24 participants included officials and scholars from Iran and from the Embassy of Iran. Canadian participants included former officials and diplomats, academics, and members of the NGO community, while the Graduate School of Public and International Affairs at the University of Ottawa provided assistance and facilities. The discussions were conducted on a not-for-attribution basis to facilitate a free and frank exchange of ideas. It was jointly chaired by William Janzen of the Mennonite Central Committee and Ernie Regehr of Project Ploughshares. This report summarizes the day's discussions. The objective of the roundtable was to deepen common understanding of Iran's nuclear policies and perspectives, to offer our Iranian guests Canadian perspectives on nuclear nonproliferation in general and on Iranian nuclear issues in particular, and to provide a forum for Canadians and Iranians to engage with one another on current nonproliferation challenges.