Iran, NAM countries downgrade atom treaty text

By Mark Heinrich

VIENNA (Reuters) - Iran and other developing nations cast a cloud over global nuclear disarmament efforts on Friday by downgrading the final statement of a two-week review meeting.

Diplomats said their move dealt a symbolic blow to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at the outset of a new review cycle leading to a decision-making conference in 2010.

Developing states said the meeting's summary dwelled unduly on noncompliance with NPT rules, singling out Iran at the behest of Western powers, while downplaying those powers' obligation to phase out their nuclear arsenals.

They also objected to a reference that delegates had called for intrusive snap inspections by U.N. inspectors to be made a condition for developing nations to receive nuclear fuel from rich nations for civilian atomic energy, they said.

As a result of their objections the text, instead of being attached to a final report listing procedural decisions and position papers submitted, was relegated to the status of a "working paper" added to 77 others submitted at the gathering.

"It gives the impression of a dying NPT, even though we will meet again next year to pick up the ball again," said one diplomat.

"It's not the NAM as such that is causing this impasse, it's the Iranians playing terrible games," said a European diplomat.

Iran had earlier paralyzed the two-week meeting for six days by blocking consensus for the agenda before accepting a minor semantic change to the text.