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Russia Says Iran Must Halt All Uranium Enrichment

April 19, 2006 -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today said Iran must heed international calls to halt all uranium enrichment activities.

He made the comments one day after a meeting in Moscow of diplomats from the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, plus Germany.

Lavrov said no decision had been adopted at the meeting, but, he said, all participants agreed that Iran must take "urgent and constructive steps" to ease concerns over its nuclear program.

Lavrov said that contacts would continue "in various formats so as to get this idea through to the Iranian leadership and to obtain a constructive response to these calls. That would open the way for the resumption of talks."

U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns on April 18 said the participants were united "that Iran should hear a stiff message from the international community."

The United States accuses Iran of seeking to secretly build nuclear weapons and is calling for tough measures, including the possibility of sanctions.

Russia and China so far remain opposed.

Discussions on the crisis are expected to continue in Moscow today among envoys from the G-8, the group of eight leading industrialized nations, which is currently headed by Russia.

(compiled from agency reports)

Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org