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China hopes U.N. statement on Iran ups chance of IAEA-led solution+(Japan Economic Newswire Via Thomson Dialog NewsEdge)BEIJING, March 30_(Kyodo) _ China said Thursday it hopes the U.N. Security Council's statement on Iran's nuclear problem would give political backing to the International Atomic Energy Agency, repeating its position that the nuclear watchdog should lead efforts to find a solution to the issue. "China hopes the adoption of the statement will help bolster the IAEA's authority," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told a regular press briefing. The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday adopted a draft presidential statement that calls on Iran to halt uranium enrichment activities, which Western countries believe can lead to it developing nuclear weapons. Despite the agreement, differences lingered among countries over their interpretations of the roles of the IAEA and the Security Council in dealing with the matter. The United States and three major European Union members -- Britain, France and Germany -- favor action on Iran being handled by the 15-member council, while China and Russia believe that the council should primarily provide political support for the IAEA. "We believe that there is still room to solve the Iran nuclear problem through diplomatic dialogue," Qin said. "Related parties should maintain restraint and patience, and create an atmosphere" that would lead to a diplomatic solution, he added. |