Dec 22, 2006, 20:18 GMT
New York - Despite claims by Russia that negotiators were 'very, very close' to agreeing a UN resolution spelling out targeted sanctions against Iran, diplomats Friday said differences remain in some key areas, including over an asset freeze on individuals implicated in Tehran's nuclear programme.
Diplomats said Russia and China questioned a demand to freeze the financial assets or resources of Iranians working for their country's nuclear programmes.
'We do believe that the financial aspects as well as others are valid elements in the resolution,' said Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin. 'But we must make sure that perfectly legal and innocent activities that have nothing to do with nuclear proliferation can proceed normally.'
Russia had earlier objected to a travel ban on Iranians associated with nuclear activities. That ban was removed from the draft resolution first initiated by the three European Union nations: France, Britain and Germany. It would be replaced by an annex with names of 12 Iranian individuals whose travels abroad would be monitored.
Diplomats said if an agreement was reached by the five permanent UN Security Council members - the US, Russia, China, France and Britain - and Germany on the resolution, a vote could be taken in the council on Saturday. Otherwise more discussions would be held after Christmas.
The resolution, according to a draft released earlier this week, would call on governments to immediately freeze funds, financial assets and economic resources on their territories, which belong to Iranians to be named by the council as 'involved or directly associated with or providing support for Iran's proliferation sensitive nuclear activities or the development of nuclear weapon delivery systems.'
But the proposed asset freeze covers a vast array of cases dealing with contracts, accounts and payments, which diplomats said are complex and might not be necessary to fight nuclear non- proliferation.
Churkin said the freeze of assets should not be used to punish people who conduct legal financial transactions.
Russia and China had opposed economic sanctions against Iran as it continues to actively carry out uranium enrichment, in violation of previous Security Council resolutions. But those two countries would agree on measures in line with those imposed on North Korea's nuclear activities.
Churkin earlier said 'a number of elements' in the draft continued to divide the six nations and those elements could be used 'wittingly or unwittingly' to derail Russia's cooperation with Iran on the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
Russia is financing the construction of a heavy water plant at Iran's Busher site for civilian use and the project is not the object of UN sanctions.
Churkin said the six countries agreed to focus on blocking Iran from obtaining the means to carry out four nuclear activities: uranium enrichment, reprocessing activities, a heavy-water nuclear reactor and nuclear delivery systems.
'Unfortunately we still see elements that go beyond those (four) concepts,' Churkin said.
The draft still demands that Iran halt all uranium enrichment and work on delivery systems. It would also order governments to impose an embargo on exports of nuclear-related technology.
'We are trying to make sure that activities that are legal and valid and have nothing to do with the risk of nuclear proliferation, can be conducted without any hindrance,' Churkin said.
An earlier version of the draft made available also warns Iran that 'further appropriate measures' under the UN Charter would be used if the country fails 'without further delay to suspend proliferation sensitive nuclear activities,' which it says include enrichment-related and reprocessing activities.
The US and the EU suspect Iran of seeking to produce nuclear weapons with its extensive nuclear facilities. Iran rejects the charge, saying that its nuclear programmes are for civilian purposes.
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