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UN Non-Proliferation Conference Awaits Iranian Response
Vienna (AFP) May 08, 2007 A week-old UN non-proliferation conference was on the verge of collapse Monday as Iran's ambassador waited for word from Tehran on whether to accept a compromise on complying with nuclear rules. "If we do not decide by Tuesday morning we will have difficulty in having discussions on substantive issues," the conference's chairman Yukiya Amano said. The meeting which began April 30 is considering fixes to the 189-nation Non-Proliferation Treaty, the basic agreement for the fight against the spread of nuclear weapons. It is scheduled to end on Friday but could break apart sooner if there is no agreement on an agenda. Iran, which is under UN sanctions for refusing to stop its uranium enrichment work, is blocking consensus on an agenda item that calls for "full compliance" with the NPT. Iranian ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh said "he had consulted with his government and an answer will come tomorrow (Tuesday)," a non-aligned diplomat told AFP. Tehran is considering a South African proposal to adopt a text designed to ease Iran's fears of being the target of a call for compliance with the NPT. But Amano, without naming Iran, said he was told the answer would not come "sooner than Tuesday," which could mean there will be no answer by then. A European diplomat said Iran was using the excuse "to play with the whole conference." Amano also told reporters that "the NPT is facing real difficulties and challenges. Iran claims they are looking into the matter seriously. It's getting late. They are taking quite a long time to take a decision." The United States has charged that Iran is using its nuclear programme to secretly develop an atomic bomb, a claim Tehran denies maintaining its nuclear activities are for peaceful purposes. William Potter, a US analyst who is also a conference delegate, said Monday: "Iran has problems already at the IAEA (the UN nuclear watchdog which has cited Tehran for non-compliance with the NPT) and the UN Security Council (which imposed sanctions) and they are not anxious to add to that list." Iran may be torpedoing the conference with stalling tactics as it "does not want to see this body on record in any fashion condemning Iran's non-compliance," Potter said. The stand-off here is the worst at any NPT meeting since the treaty went into effect in 1970, diplomats said. Amano had tried Friday to assure Iran that it was not the object of the agenda item calling for full compliance with the pact. He also refused to change the agenda, saying it was already a delicate compromise. A collapse however was avoided when non-aligned state South Africa proposed the adoption of an explanatory text saying that full compliance concerned "all the provisions" of the NPT. Iran's Soltanieh argues that emphasising compliance with all NPT provisions would push states possessing nuclear weapons to keep their promises on disarmament, rather than having the meeting just criticize Iran over violations of the treaty's nuclear safeguards. Diplomats said Iran was in a dilemma because it was isolated in the non-aligned movement here, usually its closest ally, and also because the agenda includes talks about making the Middle East nuclear-free, a topic endorsed by countries like Egypt. "If we're not going to discuss substance, we're wasting our time," a Middle East diplomat said. One European diplomat added: "Iran is obviously holding the conference hostage and playing for time." The conference is the first of a series preparing for a 2010 review on amendments to the NPT, which many feel needs to be reinforced in order to handle nuclear crises such as Iran and North Korea. The conference set the dates for the 2008 meeting to be held in Geneva April 28-May 9.
Source: Agence France-Presse Email This Article
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Washington (AFP) May 04, 2007The United States said Friday North Korea could shut down and disable its key nuclear plant by the end of 2007 despite a hitch in implementation of a pact to end its atomic weapons program. North Korea has refused to take steps to shut down the Yongbyon reactor by April 14 as pledged in a February agreement because it has yet to receive 25 million dollars in funds frozen as a result of US action in an Asian bank. |
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