|
Russia, China reject call to bring Iran before UN
(New York Times)
Updated: 2006-01-17 15:18 Russia and China affirmed
Monday that Iran must resume its freeze on certain nuclear activities, but
refused a call by the Americans and the Europeans for the issue to be put before
the U.N. Security Council, according to the British Foreign Office and senior
European officials.
In one conciliatory gesture, Russia and China agreed not to block a move by
France, Britain and Germany to convene a special session early next month of the
35 nations that make up the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency in
Vienna, Austria, according to the officials. At that time, the nations could
decide whether Iran should be referred to the Security Council for possible
censure.
The Russian and Chinese positions were laid out during five hours of
high-level talks in London that brought together the five permanent members of
the Security Council — the United States, Russia, China, France and Britain —
and Germany in an effort to forge a common position after Iran's resumption last
week of nuclear work at three sites.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because of the normal
diplomatic constraints of their governments.
Statements on Monday from both Moscow and Beijing underscored the difference
with the Europeans.
In Moscow, President Vladimir Putin emphasized that Russia, the other
European nations and the United States have "very close positions on the Iranian
problem," but warned that the crisis should be resolved "without abrupt,
erroneous steps."
In a joint news conference with Chancellor Angela Merkel of Germany, on her
first visit to Moscow since taking office, Putin urged caution, saying, "We must
move very carefully in this area."
Putin also signaled that a Russian-led initiative to enrich Iran's uranium
inside Russia under Russian control might still offer a way out of the crisis.
Iran, which had seemed to reject the Russian proposal as inadequate, has
expressed renewed interest in it in recently.
"We consider it constructive and are carefully studying it," Iran's
ambassador to Moscow, Gholamreza Ansari, said on Russian television.
In Beijing, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also emphasized the need for
negotiations, not confrontation, saying in a statement, "China believes that
under the current situation, all relevant sides should remain restrained and
stick to solving the Iranian nuclear issue through negotiations."
The rush of diplomacy reflects the growing urgency of managing the
relationship with Iran.
Both Russia and China have close economic and military
partnerships with Iran and historically have preferred engagement with Iran as a
way of moderating its behavior and opposed any action in the Security Council
against Iran.
|
