AFP: A senior US official said Tuesday that he was not expecting any breakthrough on a UN resolution punishing Iran over its nuclear programme when six major powers meet in Paris later in the day. BRUSSELS, Dec 5, 2006 (AFP) – A senior US official said Tuesday that he was not expecting any breakthrough on a UN resolution punishing Iran over its nuclear programme when six major powers meet in Paris later in the day.
“I would not say it will be a breakthrough meeting but an important meeting,” US Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs Nicholas Burns told reporters in Brussels.
The five veto-holding members of the UN Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — plus Germany are due to meet in Paris to discuss Iran’s nuclear ambitions.
Russia and China, which have close economic ties with Iran, have so far opposed sanctions against the Islamic republic for failing to suspend uranium enrichment, which can fuel a nuclear reactor or be used to make an atomic bomb.
“We really need the Russian and Chinese governments to move into third or fourth gear,” Burns said on the sidelines of a meeting here of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE).
“This afternoon (in Paris) would be a good start,” he said.
On Monday, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said that the six nations were close to agreement on the UN resolution.
“I think that we can now reach agreement on the text,” he said in Brussels, after talks with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov.
“We have taken into account the Russian amendments. We agree with Russia on adopting sanctions against Iranian proliferation programmes; that is sensitive nuclear activities and ballistic programmes,” he said.
