G7 ministers call on Iran to cooperate with IAEA

LUEBECK, Germany (Reuters) - The Group of Seven foreign ministers welcomed a framework nuclear agreement struck between six world powers and Iran but they urged Tehran to cooperate with the U.N. nuclear watchdog by verifying what nuclear activities it is involved in. "We call on Iran to cooperate fully with the International Atomic Energy Agency on verification of Iran's nuclear activities and to address all outstanding issues, including those relating to possible military dimensions," they said in a communique after meeting in the northern German city of Luebeck. Iran and the six world powers reached a framework nuclear agreement on April 2 that would curb Iran's nuclear programme and prevent it from being able to develop a bomb in exchange for the West lifting economic sanctions. Iran has long maintained its nuclear programme is for peaceful purposes. The framework is meant to be the basis of a final agreement to be reached by the end of June. "We support the continuation of the efforts by the E3/EU+3 and Iran with a view to achieving a comprehensive solution by June 30 that will ensure the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear programme going forward and ensure Iran does not acquire nuclear weapons," the G7 foreign ministers said. "E3+3" is an alternative reference for the P5+1 group - the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China. (Reporting by Michelle Martin; editing by Erik Kirschbaum)