Emyr Jones Parry told reporters that the five permanent veto-wielding members of the Council (P-5) -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- "have reached an agreement on a text" and will recommend to council colleagues this afternoon.

"Our hope is that this will be adopted as a presidential statement later this afternoon," he added.

Jones Parry, who is one of the two cosponsors of the non-binding text along with his French colleague, Jean Marc de la Sabliere, said the essence of the text was that the 15-member council is expressing clear concern about suspicion that Iran is trying to acquire nuclear weapons covertly.

The draft "is saying to Iran that it should comply with the wishes of the International Atomic Energy Agency) governing board and we are asking for a report (from the IAEA) that should be available within 30 days," he added.

The Council would then discuss the report further, Jones Parry said.

The non-binding presidential statement requires unanimous approval by the 15 council members.

The flurry of Security Council activity came on the eve of a meeting in Berlin that will bring together the foreign ministers of the P-5 plus Germany aimed at mapping out a common strategy to prod Tehran to comply with IAEA demands of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The text, a copy of which was obtained by AFP, calls upon Iran to meet IAEA demands and "underlines the particular importance of re-establishing full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, to be verified by the IAEA."

It stressed that "such suspension and full, verified Iranian compliance" with IAEA demands "would contribute to a diplomatic, negotiated solution that guarantees Iran's nuclear program is for exclusively peaceful purposes."

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