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Russia, China reject sanctions

Vladimir Radyuhin

To wait for IAEA report on Iran

MOSCOW: Russia and China have balked at endorsing U.S.-pushed sanctions against Iran at a meeting of major powers in Moscow. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Moscow would not be rushed into any action against Iran.

"We are convinced of the need to wait for the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, Mohamed ElBaradei, to present a report on Iran's nuclear programme at the end of the month," Mr. Lavrov said after a late evening talks on Tuesday between the permanent five members of the U.N. Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — plus Germany. He stressed that the report must first be discussed at the IAEA's Board of Governors before going to the U.N. Security Council.

The U.S. at the meeting reportedly pushed for invoking Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter, which would entail sanctions and even the use of force against Iran, but Russia and China refused to go along.

Mr. Lavrov said the big powers called on Iran to comply with the IAEA demand to halt uranium enrichment and answer the agency's outstanding questions on its nuclear programme.

"We all agreed that Iran needs to take urgent and constructive steps in response to the decisions of the [IAEA] Board," he said.

The IAEA is to report by April 28 on Iran's compliance with the demand.

Experts said there was still a chance Teheran could agree by the deadline to freeze uranium enrichment for five to 10 years in exchange for the right to take part in an international consortium that will enrich nuclear fuel for Iran either on foreign or Iranian territory. Mr. Lavrov is believed to have discussed this compromise in a telephonic conversation with Iran's Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki on Monday.

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