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Russia 'Regrets' Iran Defying UN Nuclear Deadline

September 1, 2006 -- The Russian Foreign Ministry said today Moscow regrets Iran's failure to halt uranium enrichment by the end of August, as called for by the United Nations.

However, in a clear reference to Iran, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said sanctions are not the best way to resolve international disputes.

The International Atomic Energy Agency on August 31 confirmed that Iran had not halted uranium enrichment as demanded by the UN Security Council. The confidential report stated that Iran on August 24 resumed making low-enriched uranium, suitable for use as fuel for power plants.

U.S. President George W. Bush has called for "consequences to Iran's defiance."

John Bolton, U.S. envoy to the United Nations, said he did not expect the Security Council to begin discussing sanctions against Iran until after a meeting next week between European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana and Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani.

Reports say Solana and Larijani are due to meet in Berlin on September 5 or 6, ahead of a meeting of six world powers there on September 7.

Officials from Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States, will try to come up with a strategy at the Berlin meeting.

The United States is expected to push hard for sanctions against Iran, but Russia and China -- both permanent Council members -- oppose quick and harsh penalties and could use their veto power to block a UN Security Council resolution on sanctions.

(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