Major Powers Reach No Deal On New Sanctions On Iran Over Its Nuclear Program

[Purveyor]

Source: Washington Post

From news services
Sunday, January 17, 2010

NEW YORK -- Top diplomats from six key powers focused on possible new sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program at a meeting Saturday but reached no agreement, diplomats said.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said the six nations want to meet again with Iran to discuss their October proposal that Tehran exchange uranium for nuclear fuel. But Robert Cooper, a senior European Union official, said, "We will continue to seek a negotiated solution, but consideration of appropriate further measures has also begun."

The United States pushed for new sanctions against Iran at Saturday's meeting, held at the E.U. offices in New York. Officials from China, Britain, France and Germany also took part in the meeting.

But in a sign of division over the next steps, China sent only a low-level diplomat to the meeting, which was scheduled for senior Foreign Ministry officials. The other five nations sent top officials with decision-making authority.

China's virtual snub has caused consternation among the four Western powers in the group, which had hoped to use the meeting to reach an agreement on whether to begin drafting a Security Council resolution on a fourth round of U.N. sanctions against Tehran.

Diplomats speculated that China's move might have been intended to illustrate its resistance to punishing Iran with more sanctions or its dismay at U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, which Beijing views as a renegade province.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/16/AR2010011602645.html

[bemildred]

1. Gee, who could have predicted this? nt