UN powers to meet on Iran package (AP) Updated: 2006-05-30 19:11
Major world powers will meet in Vienna on Thursday to
finalize a package of incentives for Iran to halt nuclear fuel enrichment along
with penalties if it keeps defying international pressure, officials said on
Tuesday.
Iranian government spokesman Gholamhossein
Elham is seen in this December 13, 2005 file photo. Iran said on Monday
there had been no mention of Tehran surrendering its disputed uranium
enrichment programme in talks with Igor Ivanov, Secretary of Russia's
Security Council. [AP] |
The United States, Britain, France, China, Russia and Germany failed to
resolve differences at London talks last week over the extent of sweeteners for
Iran or the nature and timing of sanctions if Tehran clung to enriching uranium.
The Chinese government said the sextet's foreign ministers would convene on
Thursday in Vienna, where the watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
is based. British and European Union officials also confirmed the meeting.
"We hope the meeting will achieve positive results," Chinese Foreign Ministry
spokesman Liu Jianchao said in Beijing.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana indicated on Sunday some differences
remained but that the six powers were "getting very close" to consensus after
further consultations.
Tehran says it seeks nuclear energy only for electricity. Western powers
suspect Iran's program is a civilian cover for efforts to master technology to
build atom bombs.
Contacts between the six powers' top diplomats sought to bridge lingering
differences over key aspects of the package, including the legal basis of a
Security Council resolution to underpin it, an EU diplomat said.
Diplomats said last week the incentives prepared by Britain, France and
Germany for Iran would include a light-water nuclear reactor and an assured
foreign supply of fuel for civilian power plants so Iran would not have to
enrich uranium at home.
But Washington has been wary about transferring reactor technology that might
be diverted into secret bomb production.
Sanctions could entail visa bans and a freeze on assets of senior Iranian
officials before resorting to trade measures.
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