China urges negotiated settlement in Iran nuke issue
(AP)
Updated: 2006-04-25 18:14
China and Russia on Tuesday pushed for more discussions on the Iran nuclear
dispute as Tehran's top negotiator threatened to withdraw from all cooperation
with the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency if sanctions are imposed.
"We advocate that this issue be resolved through negotiations and peaceful
means," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said. "There is still room
to resolve this issue through dialogue."
Ali Larijani, Iran's nuclear negotiator, said the country would suspend its
cooperation with the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency.
Speaking at an international conference on Iran's energy program Tuesday,
Larijani warned he was thinking about dropping out of the Nuclear
Nonproliferation Treaty _ which the IAEA oversees _ if the U.N. Security Council
imposes sanctions.
Iran faces a Friday deadline to meet the Security Council's demand that it
suspend enrichment of uranium, a process that can produce fuel for nuclear
reactors or material for nuclear warheads.
The United States and Britain are backing the proposal. China and Russia,
which are also permanent, veto-wielding members of the council, are vehemently
opposed.
Russia's defense minister, Sergei Ivanov, said Tuesday that only diplomatic
and political steps will help resolve the simmering dispute.
"Russia and China are for political and diplomatic measures. We see no
alternative to the negotiations process," Ivanov was quoted as saying by
Russia's Interfax news agency.
Ivanov, who was visiting Beijing for a regional anti-terror meeting, said he
had discussed the issue with his Chinese counterpart, but Interfax gave no other
details.
"We call on all parties to show flexibility," Qin said. "The international
community should not abandon its efforts for a peaceful settlement. ... All
moves should be helpful to achieve such an objective."
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