Putin-Bush talks ahead of UN resolution on Iran

AFP: Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with US President George W. Bush Saturday ahead of an expected UN draft resolution on nuclear-related UN sanctions against Iran, the Kremlin said. MOSCOW, Dec 23, 2006 (AFP) – Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with US President George W. Bush Saturday ahead of an expected UN draft resolution on nuclear-related UN sanctions against Iran, the Kremlin said.

The two leaders pledged their countries’ cooperation “on the final stage of the work of the Security Council concerning the draft resolution on Iran’s nuclear programme,” the Interfax news agency quoted Kremlin spokesman Alexy Gromov as saying.

The talks came amid final consultations hours ahead of a UN Security Council vote on a draft sanctions resolution at 1600 GMT on Saturday, following Iran’s failure to comply with an August 31 deadline to halt its uranium enrichment.

Russia had pressed for a one-day delay in a previously planned Friday vote on the text.

The vote will take place exactly two months after Britain, France and Germany first introduced a draft resolution imposing sanctions on Tehran.

The European draft has been amended several times as Russia and China, which have close economic and energy ties with Tehran, deemed it too tough and likely to irk the Iranians while Washington sought a tougher text.