World powers to discuss next steps in Iran crisis

BERLIN, Mar 30 (Reuters) Six world powers were gathering in Berlin today to discuss the next steps in dealing with Iran's nuclear programme, with Russia and China looking for assurances that there are no plans to use force against Tehran.

On Wednesday, the U N Security Council unanimously adopted a ''presidential statement'' calling on Iran to freeze its uranium enrichment programme, which can produce fuel for atom bombs. It also requests a report in 30 days from the U N nuclear watchdog in Vienna on Iran's cooperation with the agency's demands.

The Council statement was the product of weeks of negotiations among the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council -- Britain, France, China, Russia and the United States. The final text was softened to remove language Moscow and Beijing feared could lead to punitive measures.

The Islamic republic says its only wants civilian nuclear power and does not want atomic bombs as the West believes.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said neither Moscow nor Beijing would support the idea of pressuring Iran and would never tolerate the use of force.

''As many of our European colleagues have said and as our Chinese friends have said many times, any ideas of resolving the matter by compulsion and force are extremely counterproductive and cannot be supported,'' Lavrov was quoted as saying by the Russian news agency Interfax.

FIRST STEP The foreign ministers of Germany, France, Britain and the United States and the European Union's foreign policy chief, Javier Solana are attending the 0900 GMT meeting in Berlin.

They hope to assure Lavrov and the Chinese deputy foreign minister that they have a clear strategy and will not allow the Iran crisis to spin out of control.

Several EU diplomats said the Security Council statement was merely a ''first step'' and that the ministers would focus on next steps, including how much time Iran would have to suspend its enrichment programme, which it restarted in January.

U S State Department spokesman Sean McCormack said the goal of Thursday's meeting was to map out their future strategy.

''The intent is to allow the ministers to look out over the horizon on the Iran issue ... over the medium to long term on how to deal diplomatically with this regime and to get them back into the mainstream of the non-proliferation regime,'' he said.

Iran's resumption of enrichment -- a process that could produce fuel for atomic power plants or bombs -- prompted the EU in January to break off 2-1/2 years of talks with Iran and to back a U S demand to refer the Iranian nuclear dossier to the U N Security Council.

The ''EU3'' -- Germany, France and Britain -- have said they were willing to resume talks with Iran but only if Tehran re-suspended all enrichment-related activities.

During her brief visit in Berlin, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will also meet with German Chancellor Angela Merkel to discuss Iran and other issues before heading to France and Britain.

REUTERS SK RN0613