28 April 2006

NEW YORK - Three European countries are negotiating a proposal to respond to Iran's rejection of UN Security Council demands to halt uranium enrichment, the British UN ambassador said Friday.

Emyr Jones Parry said the draft resolution he is discussing with counterparts from France and Germany should be ready by next week for debate in the 15-nation council.

"We are setting a trend, which is a diplomatic solution," he said. "Our patience is pretty consistent in order to achieve that."

The resolution will be under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter, which allows military force to back up the will of the Security Council.

Jones Parry said the three EU countries are in close discussion with US Ambassador John Bolton.

Bolton said a resolution under Chapter 7 would step up pressure on Iran by demanding "mandatory compliance" with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolutions meant to keep Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons.

"They have to comply or the Security Council can take other steps," he told reporters at the United Nations.

The US supports such a forceful resolution to demand compliance from the Iranian government, but Bolton has said it would not explicitly threaten sanctions yet.

"This resolution itself will not dictate or foreshadow future action," he said Friday. "Iran holds the keys of this in its own hand."

"The point is to enhance international pressure on Iran," he said, adding there was still time for Tehran to back down in the crisis over its nuclear programme.

DPA

Subject: German news