Major powers set to meet in Europe over Iran

Dead Sea (Jordan), Dec 2: Major powers are expected to meet next week to discuss how to break a deadlock in agreeing a UN sanctions resolution against Iran, Russia's foreign minister and the European Union's foreign policy chief said yesterday.

Speaking on the sidelines of a West Asia democracy and development conference at a Dead Sea resort in Jordan, EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana said he hoped progress would be made at the meeting.

The meeting will probably take place in Europe and involve political directors from the permanent five members of the UN Security Council, France, Britain, the United States, China and Russia, as well as Germany, the so called P5+1.

''I think there will be a meeting in the coming days,'' Solana told Reuters.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who was also at the Dead Sea meeting, said the major powers would meet most likely on Tuesday in a European capital to discuss the resolution. He declined to provide any details.

US officials could not confirm the meeting.

Negotiations for a draft UN resolution against Iran have been deadlocked for months, with most opposition coming from Moscow which has balked at imposing rigid sanctions over Tehran's refusal to meet an August 31 UN deadline to abandon uranium enrichment or face tough UN measures.

China has also opposed punishing Iran with sanctions.

The United States in particular is becoming impatient with Russia over its refusal to sign on to a tough sanctions resolution against Iran.

US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice discussed Iran with foreign ministers from Britain, Italy and Germany as well as Solana on the sidelines of the Middle East conference in Jordan.

She did not hold formal meetings with Lavrov but saw him at a conference dinner the previous evening.

Rice indicated US annoyance at how long it was taking to get a UN resolution and hinted Washington was prepared to go ahead without Russia.

''I'm all for maintaining unity but I'm also in favour of action. And we'll just have to look at what the options are,'' she told reporters late yesterday.

She added: ''I think we will get a Chapter 7 resolution. But obviously we'd like to keep the unity of the P5 -- the P5+1 -- but unity is not an end in itself,'' said Rice.

A Chapter 7 resolution would allow the United Nations to impose sanctions on Iran.

The West suspects Iran is building a bomb while Tehran says its nuclear programme it is for peaceful power purposes only.

Major powers at the UN have been haggling for months over the resolution and an earlier one was dropped after Russia opposed some of the measures.

European powers have circulated a fresh version of a resolution which European diplomats said was aimed at meeting concerns raised by Russia in the earlier draft.

In the previous draft, Russia crossed out all mention of Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor which is being built in Russia, arguing that the plant was legal and did not contribute to proliferation.

It also submitted amendments deleting European demands for a freeze of assets abroad and travel bans against individuals, businesses and groups connected with the nuclear program.

REUTERS

Related Stories