• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

EU submits resolution on Iran-diplomats

Posted on: Friday, 23 September 2005, 12:37 CDT

VIENNA (Reuters) - The European Union has submitted a resolution to the U.N. nuclear watchdog requiring the agency's board to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council over fears it wants atomic weapons, EU diplomats said on Friday.

The resolution is the softer of two draft text prepared by the EU but is still opposed by Russia, China and a minority of the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) governing board, which is meeting in Vienna this week, diplomats said.

The Europeans, led by France, Britain and Germany, intend to put the resolution to a vote, an EU diplomat said. Although the board is split over the matter, the Europeans have the backing of a majority of the 35 countries on the board, diplomats said.

"It is unclear when the vote will take place. Perhaps Sunday, if we can do it. Maybe October 3," the diplomat added on condition of anonymity.

Iran, which denies seeking atomic weapons and insists its nuclear program is intended only for electricity generation, has threatened to curtail cooperation with the IAEA and resume uranium enrichment if reported to the Security Council, which can impose economic sanctions.

The resolution submitted to the 35-nation IAEA board, unlike an earlier EU draft, does not call for an immediate report to the Council, but requires this to be done at a later, unspecified, later date.

Source: REUTERS

More News in this Category