|
UN security council leaders to meet on Iran
(AP)
Updated: 2006-01-25 20:15
Foreign ministers of the five permanent U.N. Security Council members and
Germany will meet on Monday to bridge differences over Iran's nuclear work
before a crisis meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog, diplomats said.
They said Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States and Germany would
strive in London for a consensus before the 35-nation board of the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) holds an emergency meeting on Iran in Vienna on
February 2.
The United States and European Union allies want the IAEA to refer Iran to
the Security Council for possible sanctions. Russia and China are urging
caution, preferring something like an IAEA statement of concern about Iran
without a referral now.
"There are still differences, certainly, and things are still in flux, but we
are not too far apart. We need to agree on a common approach," a senior diplomat
said, asking not to be identified because of the delicacy of continuing
consultations.
Political directors of the six powers, who report to foreign ministers,
failed at a January 16 London meeting to align positions on Iran, although EU
diplomats said differences narrowed and Russia spoke of being "very close" to
Western views.
"The problem will have to be resolved at foreign minister level. The EU
powers have put their draft resolution for the board on hold pending this next
meeting, since Russia has asked for substantial amendments," said an EU
diplomat.
"For Moscow, the key element they want in a resolution is simply a request to
'inform' the Security Council about Iran, which would permit a debate in the
Security Council but nothing else for the time being."
He said China had told the EU it had its own proposal in
mind for the IAEA but had not presented anything in writing yet.
|
