‘New UN resolution aims to reactivate diplomatic efforts on Iran’

UNITED NATIONS—The new UN Security Council resolution on Iran is not aimed at punishing Iran, but urging Tehran to return to the negotiating table and thus to reactivate anew round of diplomatic efforts, Chinese Ambassador Wang Guangya said here Monday.
The 15-member Security Council adopted Resolution 1803 with a vote of 14-0. Indonesia abstained from endorsing the document, which calls for travel restrictions and bans for more Iranians; an expansion of asset freezes; curbs on dual-use items, export credit; financial monitoring; cargo inspections on aircraft and vessels; and possible “next steps.” These measures “are not targeted at the Iranian people and will not affect the normal economic and financial activities between Iran and other countries,” Wang said after the vote. “All the sanction measures are reversible.”
“If Iran suspends uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities and complies with the relevant IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) and Security Council resolutions, the sanctions will be suspended, and even terminated,” the Chinese ambassador said. He said the new resolution reflects not only the international concern over the issue, but also the expectations of all parties on an early peaceful settlement of the issue through diplomatic negotiations.
“At present, the international community has mixed feelings about the developments of the Iranian nuclear issue,” Wang said. “On the one hand, the latest report by the Director General of the IAEA suggests that the Agency can verify the non-diversion of declared nuclear material in Iran and has no concrete information about possible current undeclared nuclear material and activities in Iran.” He said, according to the latest IAEA report, Iran has clarified a series of outstanding issues such as uranium contamination, polonium experiments and uranium metal document, and provided information similar to that which Iran had previously provided pursuant to the Additional Protocol.
“China welcomes the abovementioned cooperation between Iran and the IAEA,” Wang said. “On the other hand, the report also points out that Iran has not suspended uranium enrichment activities as required by the Security Council resolutions, has started the development of new generation centrifuges and continued construction of its heavy water reactor and production of heavy water, and the issues relevant to the possible military dimension of Iran’s nuclear program remain outstanding.”
“As the impasse on the Iranian nuclear issue is not yet broken, the international community is increasingly calling for strengthened diplomatic efforts and hopes that the parties concerned can find a breakthrough point soon and bring the issue back onto the track of settlement,” he said. Wang reiterated China’s stance that sanctions can never resolve the Iranian nuclear issue fundamentally. “It can only serve as a means to promote reconciliation and negotiations,” he said. “The best way to resolve the issue is still diplomatic negotiations.”
Wang urged all parties concerned to adopt a highly responsible and constructive attitude, show necessary flexibility as appropriate, give full play to their initiative and creativity, and demonstrate determination and sincerity in resuming negotiations. “We call upon them to make unremitting efforts to enhance the all-round diplomatic efforts, seek a solution that will not only assure Iran’s right to peaceful use of nuclear energy but also address the international concern over nuclear proliferation, and strive for an early, long-term, comprehensive and proper solution of the Iranian nuclear issue,” he said. Wang urged Tehran to fully comply with IAEA and Security Council resolutions as soon as possible. Noting a joint statement issued by the foreign ministers of Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States that reiterated their commitment to resolving the issue through diplomatic negotiations, Wang said China hopes that all parties concerned “seize the opportunity, engage themselves in closer contacts and dialogue on the basis of equality and mutual respect, increase mutual trust and reduce misperceptions, address each other’s concerns and seek an approach that is acceptable to all for the resumption of negotiations.”

—Xinhua