Six nations to meet in Paris on Iran nuclear program

Source: Xinhuanet | 12-05-2006 13:35

PARIS, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- High-level officials from six nations were set to meet on Tuesday in Paris to discuss Iran's nuclear program, the French Foreign Ministry said on Monday.

Diplomats from Britain, China, France, Russia, the United States, and Germany, as well as the European Union's foreign policy chief Javier Solana, would attend the meeting, the ministry said.

Meanwhile, French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy was optimistic on Monday in Brussels that the upcoming meeting would be a success.

"We want to reach as broad an agreement as possible in the UN Security Council," said Douste-Blazy, according to the French Foreign Ministry. "Therefore we are gathering tomorrow in Paris, to discuss the text (of a UN draft resolution)."

"I think that we can now reach an agreement on the text," he told reporters after meeting Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on the sidelines of a meeting of the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe.

Douste-Blazy said he had discussed the Iranian situation with Lavrov. "We are in agreement with Russia to adopt sanctions against the Iranian program of proliferation," he said.

The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in late July, urging Tehran to suspend by Aug. 31 all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development, or face possible sanctions.

But the Iranian government reiterated that the country would press ahead with its nuclear program despite the UN warning.

Iran has repeatedly said its nuclear energy agenda is limited to generating electricity.

The six nations have already held several informal meetings on the possible sanctions which are deemed as too tough by Russia.

Editor:Du Xiaodan