China, Russia block adoption: UNSC statement against Iran
By Our Correspondent
UNITED NATIONS, March 21: Senior officials from five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany failed to reach an agreement on a joint statement on Iran’s nuclear programme, after nearly five hours of marathon talks on Monday. The United States, France and Britain are seeking a statement from the 15-member Security Council to call on Iran to suspend all nuclear activities which would require the UN’s nuclear agency, the IAEA, to report back within weeks on Iran’s compliance.
But the Russians and Chinese have not budged from their opposition to tough language in the proposed statement, including a demand for a report in 14 days on Iran’s compliance with IAEA demands, diplomats here said. Moscow and Beijing have said that is too short, with China suggesting 30 to 45 days.
China’s UN Ambassador Wang Guangya reiterated after Monday’s meeting that Beijing could agree “if it is a short, brief political statement”. He said the council would need to keep talking about its first step.
Both China and Russia have expressed concern at the deadline and about the Security Council’s role. They are believed to be concerned that the Security Council’s role in handling the issue of Iran’s nuclear programme will overshadow the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
US Under-Secretary of State Nicholas Burns who attended the talks at the British Mission told reporters that the officials had made some progress, but had not agreed on the precise wording of a statement.
“It’s clear from today’s meeting that there has to be some more meetings up here in New York. [Agreement] may take a little bit of time,” Mr Burns said.
Agencies add: China and Russia on Monday blocked agreement on a UN Security Council statement aimed at quashing Iran’s nuclear ambitions despite a ministerial meeting on Tehran’s atomic program.
Senior foreign affairs officials from Germany and the five veto-holding Security Council members — the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China — met for more than four hours to discuss strategy on how to handle Iran.
Their U.N. ambassadors joined them for talks on a draft statement the Security Council has been unable to issue for nearly two weeks telling Iran to stop uranium-enrichment efforts the West alleges are a cover for bomb-making.
Still, Nicholas Burns, the U.S. undersecretary of state, told reporters after the meeting: “We remain convinced that we will see a presidential statement. It just may take a couple more days.”
Both Russia and China are wary of action by the Security Council, which can impose sanctions, fearing threats might escalate and prompt Iran to cut all contacts with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Envoys close to the talks said that Russia was toughest on provisions in a draft statement and that Beijing backed Moscow.
France and Britain, authors of the draft statement, will take ‘another look at that text to see if we can refine it a little bit more’, said Britain’s UN ambassador Emyr Jones Parry, whose mission hosted the talks.
China’s U.N. ambassador, Wang Guangya, was optimistic but his comments indicated no deal was reached yet.
“We agreed to continue discussing it,” he said.
Nevertheless, Mr Burns said the group had common aims.
“All agreed that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons and is out of compliance with its international commitments,” he said. “All agreed Iran is travelling down the road toward enrichment.”
Envoys emerging from the talks said there had been no firm proposals from Britain and others on the next step.
The West has considered a resolution under mandatory Chapter 7 provisions of the UN Charter if Iran does not comply but only after a statement is adopted.
Germany’s Michael Schaefer, political director in the foreign ministry, said: “We have not discussed specifics of resolutions. We have discussed concepts on how to go forward.”
“And it’s very important to see that there is this dual track — there is the opportunity to go back into negotiations if Iran decides to suspend the (enrichment) activities.”
A statement needs the consent of all 15 council members while a resolution requires nine votes in favour and no veto.
Under a Nov 2004 agreement with Britain, France and Germany, negotiators for the European Union, Iran agreed to freeze any uranium conversion, enrichment and reprocessing activities in return for economic and political rewards.
That deal broke down last year and Iran restarted uranium conversion in August. The IAEA board agreed to report the issue to the Security Council, which received a dossier on March 8.
15-DAY DEADLINE: On the statement, Russia and China have objected to a provision setting a 15-day deadline for the IAEA to report whether Tehran has complied, saying it is too short.
The Western powers, at the suggestion of China, also revised a text on Friday, saying that Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the IAEA, would submit a progress report on Iran to the Security Council and the 35-member IAEA board at the same time. Earlier only the council was mentioned.
In addition to Mr Burns attending the Monday session were political directors John Sawers of Britain and Stanislas de la Boulaye of France. Also Sergei Kislyak, a Russian deputy foreign minister and China arms control director, Zhang Yan.
