Iran nuclear issue must be solved by diplomacy -Russian official
12:53|18/ 03/ 2007
LESNIYE DALI, (Moscow Region), March 18 (RIA Novosti) – The Iran
nuclear issue must be solved by diplomatic means, the secretary of the
Russian Security Council said Sunday.
Since Iran resumed uranium enrichment in January 2006, the country has
been the focus of international concerns, as some Western countries,
particularly the United States, suspect Tehran is pursuing a covert
weapons program. But Tehran has consistently claimed it needs nuclear
development for civilian power generation.
"Iran and the international community must take a pause and find a
solution through negotiations and come to a common conclusion," Igor
Ivanov told a session of the Russian Council for Foreign and Defense
Policy.
According to Ivanov, Iran should take a pause with regard for its
uranium enrichment while the UN Security Council must also take a
pause in relation to its resolution on Iran.
"All the parties need to stop and sit down to a table of negotiations
at the level of experts," Ivanov said.
The Islamic Republic, already under limited international sanctions,
is facing tougher penalties from the UN Security Council over its
refusal to halt the uranium enrichment.
A new draft resolution of the 15-nation UN Security Council on Iran,
issued Thursday, stipulates sanctions against 10 Iranian companies and
three companies of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, an elite
military organization in the country.
The draft resolution has been prepared by the Iran-Six, comprising
Germany and the five permanent Security Council members – the United
States, Britain, France, Russia and China.
Ivanov said the international community does not have a biased
attitude towards Iran.
"If the Iranian leadership states that it has no military plans and
its plans are only civilian, then Iran should not have any concerns,"
Ivanov said.