World powers discuss plans to ease concern over Iranian nuclear programme
Iran and the world powers Wednesday discussed ways to ease concerns over the Islamic republic's nuclear programme even as China has hinted that it would oppose any move outside of the United Nations to curb Tehran's atomic ambitions.
The six world powers - the permanent UN Security Council members - the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France, plus Germany started a new round of talks here aimed at persuading Tehran to curb its nuclear programme amid concerns that Iran was pursuing atomic weapons.
But the talks in Baghdad ended inconclusive and complicated.
"In this session of negotiations, Iran presented to the P51 a package comprising five points that include a range of nuclear and non-nuclear issues. In the first session, the P51 presented its proposals to Iran, but apparently from the Iranian point of view this package is not balanced," the Iranian Students' News Agency (ISNA) reported quoting unnamed sources.
As the six nations discussed the disputed nuclear programme, Beijing hinted that it would oppose any measures taken by groups of nations outside the UN.
"We strictly follow the relevant UN resolutions on the Iran nuclear issue. But at the same time China opposes using bilateral sanctions to force other countries or to harm other countries from normal trading with Iran," China's vice foreign minister Cheng Guoping told reporters at a briefing in Beijing.
Iranian president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is expected to visit China in June for a security summit and to discuss his country's nuclear programme with Chinese President Hu Jintao, Chen said, criticizing new US sanctions against Iran.
Ahmadinejad will be attending the Shanghai Co-operation Organisation (SCO) meeting hosted by Beijing in June.
"Certainly during his meeting with President Hu the Iran nuclear issue will be an important talking point," Cheng said.
Iran is under persistent pressure to curb its nuclear programme. China has a veto on the UN security council and has resisted US demands for sanctions on Iran.
Source: Germany News.Net
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