|
NPT conference urges Iran to stop enriching uranium |
|
|
|
|
Saturday, 12 May 2007 |
VIENNA (AFP) - A conference on fixing the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) urged Iran to comply with UN calls to stop enriching uranium, in a summary of the two-week meeting ending Friday.
Iran objected strongly to being named in the document and the final session was delayed as Japanese chairman Yukiya Amano held last-minute closed-door consultations to avoid a collapse of the meeting, diplomats said.
The chairman's summary document stated that "serious concern" was expressed over Iran's nuclear programme and Tehran was "strongly urged to comply" with all the demands of UN Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolutions seeking a halt to enrichment activities.
Tehran has also been asked to comply with NPT safeguards against the possible spread of nuclear weapons.
Amano's summary said the multiple unanimous resolutions on Iran's nuclear programme "demonstrate the resolve of the international community on this issue."
Washington has accused Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a peaceful programme to generate atomic power.
Diplomats said Iran might try to block the final statement at the conference's last session on Friday afternoon or even block any documents being taken forward to the next NPT meeting in 2008.
"They will do this because they will object to the word 'comply.' That will be a problem," a diplomat from a non-aligned state close to Iran told AFP.
The meeting here is the first of several to be held ahead of a general review in 2010 of the landmark NPT 40 years after it came into effect.
Many complain the pact is flawed since it allows states to develop technology that has both military as well as peaceful uses.
Iran had held up debate here for six days as it objected to an agenda item calling for full compliance with the treaty.
Opposing the summary would be a political statement for Iran, the diplomat said.
Another diplomat praised Amano's summary as "balanced," especially since it went far towards meeting worries in the Middle East by saying: "Great concern was expressed regarding the nuclear capability of Israel."
The nine-page summary also notes that states parties expressed "grave concern" over North Korea's nuclear programme and its announcement of a nuclear test in October 2006.
It also turned on nuclear weapons states by saying they were not living up to their disarmament pledges in the NPT, showing only a "slow pace of progress."
"Increased transparency with regard to nuclear weapons capabilities as a voluntary confidence-building measure was strongly advocated" from a conference at which many complained of weapons upgrades in the United States and Britain, the statement said.
It also highlighted demands made here "that pending the elimination of nuclear weapons, the nuclear-weapon states should provide security assurances to the non-nuclear-weapon States that they would not use nuclear weapons againt them."
British ambassador John Duncan told reporters on Thursday: "Despite the best efforts of the Iranians, this conference has really demonstrated the common interest of the world community in dealing with nuclear issues."
|
