IRAN/RUSSIA: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov welcomes revised draft of a U.N. resolution on Iran

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised a revised draft U.N. Security Council resolution on Iran, which Britain and France plan to introduce on Monday (December 11). Russia had opposed an earlier version of the draft saying strong sanctions against Iran, suspected by the west of seeking to obtain own nuclear weapons, were too hard and could make Tehran even more defiant. The revised version, backed by the United States, was circulated to the 15 members of the U.N. Security Council on Friday. The new draft narrowed bans to the most dangerous bomb-building materials and technology. "The draft is different from the initial variant and contains changes based on the Russian proposals which aim at encouraging Iran to sit down at the negotiating table. The new draft does not provide for blanket sanctions. It contains a concrete list of steps aimed at not allowing supplies of technology which causes concerns in the International Atomic Energy Agency," Lavrov told reporters in Moscow on Monday. Lavrov however stopped short of saying whether Russia -- a veto-wielding member of the Security Council -- would back the revised version. The Russian foreign minister also said the revised draft will not impose any restrictions on Russian cooperation with Iran in completing the Islamic Republic's nuclear power station project at Bushehr, in southern Iran. The Bushehr project is scheduled to be completed late 2007. "The draft (resolution) will have no relation to Bushehr; the project for the Bushehr nuclear power station is carried in full compliance with IAEA regulations and norms; so the draft cannot impose any limits on this project," added Lavrov. The new draft, drawn up by Britain and France, proposes imposing sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment. Diplomats hope to vote on the text in the next two weeks. In an effort to get Russian support, the new draft narrowed bans on the most dangerous bomb-building materials and technology. However, the draft keeps a travel ban and asset freeze on individuals, groups and businesses involved in Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programs, which Russia opposes. Meanwhile, in Tehran, Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki was meeting with head of Russia's Atomic Energy Organisation, Sergei Kiriyenko. Mottaki once again re-iterated Iran's stance that it has a right to develop nuclear civilian power and he mentioned that Iran was still examining a Russian offer to enrich uranium on Russian soil for Iranian energy use. Moscow has been pushing the proposal as a solution to the long running stand-off between the west and Iran over its nuclear programme.

ITN Source | December 11, 2006

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