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Iran urged to respect UN demands Russia queries EU draft on Iran
(about 2 hours later)
The Chinese and French leaders have urged Iran to honour a Security Council resolution for it to halt its nuclear programme or face possible sanctions. Moscow has said a draft UN Security Council resolution on Iran's nuclear programme appears not to match positions agreed within the council.
Chinese President Hu Jintao and French President Jacques Chirac issued the statement after a meeting in Beijing. The council's five permanent members plus Germany are meeting in New York to discuss sanctions over Iran's failure to stop sensitive nuclear fuel work.
In New York, the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany are due to discuss the issue with the US pressing for immediate sanctions. The new resolution has been drafted by the council's three EU members.
The UN told Iran to stop its activities by the end of August or face action. Russia's foreign minister said the draft did not seem to "match those tasks the six sides agreed on".
Britain, France and Germany sent a draft proposal to Russia and China on Tuesday, outlining sanctions against Tehran. "Our goal is to eliminate the risks of sensitive technologies getting into the hands of Iran until [UN nuclear inspectors] clarify the issues of interest to them, while maintaining all possible channels of communication with Iran," Sergei Lavrov said on a visit to Siberia.
Economic ties The question is whether Russia and China, who both have the power to veto resolutions, will go along with the sanctions being proposed, the BBC's Laura Trevelyan reports from the UN.
France's ambassador to the UN, Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, explained the contents of the draft resolution: They have significant economic ties to Tehran and Russia is resisting any restrictions on its work to build a new nuclear reactor at Bushehr in Iran.
Bans and freezes
Iran says it has a right to enrich uranium and it is doing it to make electricity but the same process can also be used to make a nuclear bomb, our correspondent notes.
The Security Council told Iran to stop what it was doing by the end of August or face action.
France's ambassador to the UN, Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, explained what was in the draft resolution:
"All states shall prevent the sale and supply to Iran of items and technologies which could contribute to its nuclear and missile programme."All states shall prevent the sale and supply to Iran of items and technologies which could contribute to its nuclear and missile programme.
"It says also that persons engaged in this programme shall be banned from travel."It says also that persons engaged in this programme shall be banned from travel.
"Also that funds and assets of these people and entities involved in Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programme shall be frozen," he explained. "Also that funds and assets of these people and entities involved in Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programme shall be frozen."
The question is whether Russia and China - permanent members of the Security Council with the power to veto decisions - will go along with these sanctions, says the BBC's UN correspondent, Laura Trevelyan. Richard Grenell, spokesman for the US mission to the UN, said on Wednesday that the US hoped to make changes to the EU three's draft but he gave no details.
They have significant economic ties to Teheran.
International credibility
Earlier, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice urged the UN Security Council to take immediate action against Iran.
"For the international community to be credible, it must pass a resolution now that holds Iran accountable for its defiance," she said.
She urged the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution to impose sanctions.
The Americans also want to see restrictions on a new nuclear reactor that is being built in Iran by Russia but the Bushehr reactor is exempt from these sanctions, our correspondent says.
Iran rejects Western allegations that its nuclear programme has a military aspect, and maintains it is enriching uranium only to generate electricity.
However, Ms Rice's comments came after Tehran said it was taking steps to further develop its nuclear programme.