Major powers failed on Saturday to settle all their differences
over a second U.N. sanctions resolution against Iran for its nuclear
work but remain committed to passing one soon, the United States
said.
"There is still some work to be done on a few outstanding
issues, but all parties remain committed to a second resolution
in the near future," State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper
said in a statement issued after the five permanent members of
the U.N. Security Council and Germany held a conference call to
discuss a new U.N. Security Council resolution against Iran.
The United States and leading European countries suspect Iran
is seeking to build nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian
atomic program. Tehran denies the charge and says its program
is for generating electricity.
The new measures under discussion are a follow-up to a key Security
Council resolution passed on December 23 that imposed trade sanctions
on sensitive nuclear materials and technology as well as other
penalties after Iran refused to suspend uranium enrichment. The
sanctions would be suspended if Iran complied.
The State Department put a positive gloss on Saturday's discussions
but they appeared to have fallen short of U.S. hopes that the
group -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States
as well as Germany -- would be able to agree on the elements of
a resolution during the conference call.
"GOOD DISCUSSION"
They had a good discussion in keeping with the positive atmosphere
of their conversations last week," Cooper said in a brief
written statement. "Discussions will now move to New York,
where our United Nations permanent representatives (ambassadors)
will take up work on the issue."
U.S. and European diplomats have said the new sanctions are expected
to include a mandatory travel ban on Iranian officials involved
in the nuclear program and an expansion of the list of banned
nuclear material and technology Iran may import and export.
Also under consideration is enlarging the list of Iranian officials
whose assets were frozen in the December resolution. But envoys
said proposals for a total arms embargo would be dropped because
of Russian objections as would a ban on visas for students studying
nuclear technology abroad.
Negotiators have also discussed restricting export credits provided
by governments to companies doing business in Iran. Washington
has pushed for Europe to end such credits.
The United States has made no secret of its desire to get a second
resolution quickly to keep up momentum in its diplomatic effort
to persuade Iran to suspend its nuclear enrichment work, which
can provide fuel for power plants or for bombs.
Iran has repeatedly refused to do so.
On Friday, the president of the U.N. Security Council said he
expected the 15-member body to have a draft resolution in the
coming week on additional sanctions to curb Iran's nuclear ambitions,
barring last minute snags.
South Africa's U.N. ambassador, Dumisani Kumalo, who assumed
the rotating council presidency, said major powers were trying
to include all members in discussions -- unlike last year, when
they talked only among themselves until shortly before the vote.
No date has been set for a vote and changes in the language are
bound to drag out, but the prediction of a text being circulated
in New York next week implied progress among the negotiators.
The U.S. statement made no mention of circulating a draft, saying
only that talks would now move to New York.
