Major powers fail to settle differences on Iran
UNITED STATES: Major powers failed on Saturday to settle all
their differences over a second UN sanctions resolution against Iran for
its nuclear work but remain committed to passing one soon, the United
States said.
“There is still some work to be done on a few outstanding issues, but
all parties remain committed to a second resolution in the near future,”
State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper said in a statement issued
after the five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council and
Germany held a conference call to discuss a new U.N. Security Council
resolution against Iran.
The United States and leading European countries suspect Iran is
seeking to build nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian atomic
program. Tehran denies the charge and says its program is for generating
electricity.
The new measures under discussion are a follow-up to a key Security
Council resolution passed on Dec. 23 that imposed trade sanctions on
sensitive nuclear materials and technology as well as other penalties
after Iran refused to suspend uranium enrichment. The sanctions would be
suspended if Iran complied.
The State Department put a positive gloss on Saturday’s discussions
but they appeared to have fallen short of U.S. hopes that the group —
Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States as well as Germany
— would be able to agree on the elements of a resolution during the
conference call.
They had a good discussion in keeping with the positive atmosphere of
their conversations last week,” Cooper said in a brief written
statement. “Discussions will now move to New York, where our United
Nations permanent representatives (ambassadors) will take up work on the
issue.”
U.S. and European diplomats have said the new sanctions are expected
to include a mandatory travel ban on Iranian officials involved in the
nuclear program and an expansion of the list of banned nuclear material
and technology Iran may import and export.
Also under consideration is enlarging the list of Iranian officials
whose assets were frozen in the December resolution. But envoys said
proposals for a total arms embargo would be dropped because of Russian
objections as would a ban on visas for students studying nuclear
technology abroad.
Negotiators have also discussed restricting export credits provided
by governments to companies doing business in Iran. Washington has
pushed for Europe to end such credits.
The United States has made no secret of its desire to get a second
resolution quickly to keep up momentum in its diplomatic effort to
persuade Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment work, which can provide
fuel for power plants or for bombs.
Iran has repeatedly refused to do so.
On Friday, the president of the U.N. Security Council said he
expected the 15-member body to have a draft resolution in the coming
week on additional sanctions to curb Iran’s nuclear ambitions, barring
last minute snags.
South Africa’s U.N. ambassador, Dumisani Kumalo, who assumed the
rotating council presidency, said major powers were trying to include
all members in discussions — unlike last year, when they talked only
among themselves until shortly before the vote.
No date has been set for a vote and changes in the language are bound
to drag out, but the prediction of a text being circulated in New York
next week implied progress among the negotiators.
The U.S. statement made no mention of circulating a draft, saying
only that talks would now move to New York.
Washington, Sunday, Reuters |