Bush calls Putin to discuss Iran

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – President George W. Bush spoke with
Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday as the United States
tries to convince Russia and China that the U.N. Security
Council must take tougher action to curb Iran’s nuclear
program.

White House spokesman Scott McClellan declined to give
details of the telephone conversation, but said: “The two
leaders stressed the importance of preventing Iran from
obtaining nuclear weapons.”

He said they agreed to remain “in close contact on this
important priority.”

German Chancellor Angela Merkel failed to win Putin’s
approval for U.N. sanctions at a meeting last week but she was
hopeful that Russia eventually would not block tougher
measures. Merkel is to meet Bush in Washington this week.

Senior officials from the permanent U.N. Security Council
member states — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United
States — as well as Germany are to meet in Paris on Tuesday to
prepare for a meeting of the countries’ foreign ministers on
Iran in New York on May 9.

The United States, Britain and France want to introduce a
U.N. Security Council resolution requiring that Iran stop
uranium enrichment or face possible sanctions.

Russia and China have so far opposed sanctions and Iran has
said it would ignore any U.N. Security Council resolution
against its nuclear program.