No new sanctions in next U.N. Iran vote
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Six world powers have agreed on a draft resolution on Iran's nuclear program but it included no new sanctions, in line with Russia's preference, European officials said on Friday.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband told reporters the six powers would submit the draft text to the 15-nation U.N. Security Council for discussions on Friday. It was unclear when the council would vote on the text but one European official said that could happen during the weekend.
The United States, Britain, France and Germany wanted to ratchet up sanctions on Iran, which has refused to halt its nuclear enrichment work. China and especially Russia oppose further sanctions.
"We will be presenting a short resolution for consultations today that reaffirms existing resolutions that are on the U.N. books, ... (and) reaffirms the unity of the (six powers)," Miliband said in words confirmed by French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner.
Miliband made clear the resolution did not include new sanctions against Iran for refusing to suspend its nuclear program as demanded in four previous council resolutions.
The six powers and the council, Miliband said, were determined to press ahead with "further discussions and further steps" on Iran's nuclear program, which Western countries fear is aimed at developing atomic weapons.
Friday's meeting of ministers of the six powers had originally been scheduled for Thursday but was canceled after Russia decided to withdraw to protest U.S. criticism of its invasion of Georgia last month.
RUSSIA: NO NEED FOR NEW SANCTIONS
Tehran insists its nuclear program is intended solely for the peaceful generation of electricity and refuses to halt its enrichment program. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad reiterated that stance in a defiant speech to the U.N. General Assembly on Tuesday, saying Iran would resist U.S. "bullying."
Miliband said the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog based in Vienna, had failed to get sufficient cooperation from Tehran in its investigation of allegations that Iran conducted research on an atomic weapon.
"So we will be taking the consequent next steps in our discussions bilaterally and multilaterally," he said.
Senior foreign ministry officials from the six powers would be meeting again to discuss the next steps. There will also be bilateral meetings of key players.
Russia's U.N. ambassador Vitaly Churkin said this week Moscow saw no need for a further round of sanctions now.
In June the six powers gave Iran a beefed-up offer of political and economic incentives, including nuclear reactors, in exchange for a suspension of its enrichment program. Tehran says enrichment is a sovereign right it will never renounce.
Churkin said Moscow would like Tehran to have a chance to thoroughly study the offer.
(Additional reporting by Hans-Edzard Busemann, writing by Louis Charbonneau; Editing by Alan Elsner )
