Chinese, Iranian officials discuss nuclear crisis

BEIJING, June 8: Chinese and Iranian officials held talks today on the international dispute over Iran's nuclear programme during what Beijing characterised as an ''important moment'' in the stand-off.

Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai met Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Beijing.

''The two sides will exchange views on the Iran nuclear issue, because it is a very important moment now,'' China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters ahead of the meeting.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad will also meet his Chinese counterpart, Hu Jintao, next week on the sidelines of a summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional security forum, Liu said. The summit will be held in Shanghai.

The five permanent members of the UN Security Council, which include China, along with Germany, have proposed a package of incentives and penalties to Iran aimed at persuading it to give up uranium enrichment, research the West believes could be used to make nuclear weapons.

Iran says its atomic research is for civilian use.

''The package of proposals is an important foundation of promoting the peaceful settlement of the Iranian nuclear problem through negotiation,'' Liu said. ''Each side is studying the resolution. We hope every party would have positive feedback.'' Iran has said it sees some positive aspects in the proposal, details of which have not been made public, but that it needs time to review it.

If Iran sticks to its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment, Western powers could push for sanctions at the Security Council, action China has traditionally opposed.

REUTERS

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