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5 permanent UNSC members begin talks on Iran nuclear issue+
(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)NEW YORK, March 14_(Kyodo) _ The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council began talks on Iran's nuclear program Tuesday morning in a last-ditch effort to find a breakthrough in their stalled negotiations, which started last Wednesday.
Britain and France have prepared a draft statement on the basis of the position of the United States urging Iran to totally halt its uranium enrichment activities within two weeks, sources close to the five permanent members earlier said.
The United States and the two European nations want the statement adopted as early as this week. But China and Russia remain reluctant to set a specific timetable for Iran to halt its uranium enrichment activities, according to the sources.
If the five powers fail to agree on the statement Tuesday, the United States, Britain and France may consider preparing a new statement draft that can be adopted as a Security Council resolution with the approval of nine Security Council members, including the nonpermanent members, the sources said.
On Tuesday afternoon, the Security Council is scheduled to hold a meeting of the five permanent and the 10 nonpermanent members outside the U.N. headquarters, based on the outcome of the five powers' talks.
The meeting will be the first by the Security Council on Iran's nuclear program since the issue was reported to the council by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, last month.
During the meeting, the five permanent members are set to come up with a draft statement and explain the outcome of their talks to the nonpermanent members.
Iran insists its nuclear program is only aimed at energy generation, but the United States and others allege Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons.
A special IAEA board meeting decided last month to report Iran to the Security Council because of its failure to comply with its obligations under an IAEA safeguards accord.
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