Iran, NAM countries seek to block atom treaty text

VIENNA, May 11 (Reuters) Iran and other developing nations cast a cloud over global nuclear disarmament efforts today by blocking the final statement of a two-week review meeting.

Diplomats were feverishly trying to overcome the impasse which would deal a sharp symbolic blow to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty at the outset of a new review cycle leading to a decision-making conference in 2010.

Diplomats from developing states said the draft 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 UN 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, some Non Aligned Movement developing states were demanding the meeting summary, which cannot be amended under rules of procedure, be relegated to the status of a ''working paper'' added to many others submitted at the gathering.

Diplomats said Iran wanted critical references to its controversial atomic programme struck from the summary. If not, it would refuse to accept it even as a working paper.

''There is a general objection to imbalance in the summary.

But different NAM members are objecting to different things. NAM is not united. The end of this meeting has turned into a terrible mess,'' said one NAM diplomat.

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

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

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

Iran has been hit by UN sanctions for refusing to halt uranium enrichment, which world powers suspect is meant to yield atomic bombs not electricity as the Islamic Republic says, and for impeding UN inspector inquiries into his nuclear activity.

Analysts said the chairman's summary tried to strike a balance by citing dismay among developing nations over the slowness of nuclear weapons powers to dismantle their arsenals in stages, as called for by the treaty.

''We think the report is fair, balanced and representative.

The precedent of rejecting the chair's text undermines standard multilateral practices, which sets a dangerous precedent for the NPT itself,'' said disarmament campaigner Felicity Hill.

REUTERS AK KP2314