The Washington Post, United Nations, 27 September 2008 excerpts) — The United States, Russia, China and key European powers agreed Friday to press for a U.N. Security Council resolution that renews previous demands for Iran to halt its enrichment of uranium but includes no new punitive measures to compel Tehran to do so.
The deal was brokered by the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany following a breakfast with U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. The three-paragraph draft calls on Iran ‘to fully comply, without delay,’ with Security Council resolutions that demand a halt to some of its most controversial nuclear activities. It also calls on Iran to cooperate with U.N. inspectors.
This resolution demonstrates a ‘show of unity’ by key Security Council powers on Iran, said Alejandro Wolff, the U.S. deputy ambassador to the United Nations. And British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the accord underscores ‘our determination to ensure’ that Iran lives up to its international obligations. ‘We look forward to that resolution being passed.’
‘ The International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. arm that monitors Iran’s nuclear program, complained last week that Tehran has limited its cooperation recently with an investigation into a possible weapons program.
The six powers have offered Iran a package of incentives, including favorable trade deals and access to nuclear fuel, in exchange for allowing greater scrutiny of its nuclear program.