Diplomats seek way to 're-engage' Iran
|
A young demonstrator shouts slogans outside the Foreign Office in
London, Monday Feb. 26, 2007. Supporters of the National Council of
Resistance of Iran were rallying to call upon the five permanent
members of the UN Security Council plus Germany to call for a second
resolution to be adopted by the UN, imposing arms, diplomatic,
technological and oil sanctions on the Iranian regime. -AP
|
Representatives of the five permanent members of the U.N. Security
Council and Germany said after meeting in London on Monday that they
were committed to seeking a negotiated solution with Iran, which has
defied a U.N. order to halt its uranium enrichment program.
In Washington, meanwhile, State Department spokesman Sean McCormack
told reporters that the six nations had "agreed on the fact that they
will go forward with a U.N. sanctions resolution."
McCormack said the six nations the United States, Britain, France,
China, Russia and Germany wanted Iran to negotiate. But he also said,
"We are equally committed to sending the message to the Iranian
government: Should they choose not to proceed down that pathway, then
there will be consequences."
Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency issued a report
saying that rather than halting its uranium enrichment program, Iran had
expanded it.
During a visit Saturday to Sydney, Vice President Cheney told
reporters that "all options are still on the table" for dealing with
Iran, raising concerns that the United States was considering a possible
military strike.
The United States accuses Iran of secretly using its nuclear program
in an effort to build atomic weapons. The Tehran government insists its
program is solely for energy purposes and that it has no intention of
stopping its uranium enrichment as demanded by the Security Council.
Officials at the talks sought to play down any rising confrontation.
John Sawers, the British official chairing Monday's meeting, issued a
statement saying that the group had "considered how best to reengage
with Iran. We are all committed to seeking a negotiated solution."
Not all parties agree on the seriousness of the threat from Iran or
how best to contain it. Of the five permanent members of the U.N.
Security Council, Russia and China have resisted tough sanctions.
In December, the Security Council banned countries from supplying
Iran with technology that could be used in its nuclear and missile
programs and froze the assets of certain companies and individuals. Now
wider economic sanctions are being considered, along with a travel ban
on some officials.
Officials from the six nations involved in the talks are to continue
discussions by phone on Thursday.
washingtonpost.com
|
