Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that a European draft resolution imposing sanctions on Tehran over its nuclear program would isolate Iran, suggesting that Moscow will not back the resolution in its current form, news agencies reported.
"We cannot support measures that in essence are aimed at isolating Iran from the outside world, including isolating people who are called upon to conduct negotiations on the nuclear program," Interfax quoted Lavrov as saying.
Lavrov also reiterated his claim that the draft UN Security Council resolution -- meant to punish Iran for its persistent refusal to halt uranium enrichment activities that have heightened fears it is seeking to develop nuclear weapons -- goes beyond existing agreements among nations seeking to rein in Tehran's nuclear ambitions.
"The draft ... goes far outside the framework of agreements," Interfax quoted him as saying.
The European draft orders all countries to prevent the sale and supply of material and technology that could contribute to Iran's nuclear and missile programs. It orders countries to freeze the assets of companies and organizations involved in those programs, and also imposes a travel ban and freezes the assets of people involved -- a measure Lavrov appeared to be referring to in his remark suggesting it would hamper negotiators.
Interfax said Lavrov spoke in response to a question about whether Russia completely rejects the European draft or intends to seek changes.
"We will work on the text of the resolution," Lavrov said, adding that Russia would seek to focus the document on concrete aspects of Iran's program that the International Atomic Energy Agency has identified as possibly serious risks, including uranium enrichment and a heavy-water reactor, ITAR-Tass reported.
The text of the resolution drafted by Britain, France and Germany was expected to be discussed this week at the UN.
While the US indicated it considers the draft too weak, Lavrov has signaled Russia's opposition and suggested it is too strong. Russia has not ruled out sanctions against Iran but repeatedly has warned that harsh measures could harden Tehran's defiance and scuttle chances for a negotiated end to the prolonged standoff over its nuclear program.
Moscow will seek to foster negotiations between Iran and the international community, Lavrov said.
Russia and China, both veto-wielding Security Council members, consistently have been reluctant to support sanctions. Comments Tuesday by Russia's Security Council chief Igor Ivanov hinted that Russia could support sanctions as a way to push Tehran into talks, but also left plenty of room for wrangling in the council.
Speaking on Wednesday in Moscow, South Korean Foreign Minister Ban Ki-moon, who will take over as UN secretary-general on Jan. 1, urged Iran to halt uranium enrichment and accept an international offer of incentives in return, Interfax reported. Iran's rejection of the proposal prompted the moves toward punishment that could include sanctions.
Russia has strong commercial ties with Iran, and a Defense Ministry official told reporters on Wednesday that Moscow would fulfill a contract to supply air defense missiles to Iran unless Moscow backs international sanctions that would make it illegal.
Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov defended the US$700 million contract signed last December to sell 29 Tor-M1 air defense missile systems to Iran, saying they were purely defensive weapons with a limited range.
Nearly half of China’s major cities are suffering “moderate to severe” levels of subsidence, putting millions of people at risk of flooding, especially as sea levels rise, according to a study of nationwide satellite data released yesterday. The authors of the paper, published by the journal Science, found that 45 percent of China’s urban land was sinking faster than 3mm per year, with 16 percent at more than 10mm per year, driven not only by declining water tables, but also the sheer weight of the built environment. With China’s urban population already in excess of 900 million people, “even a small portion
UNSETTLING IMAGES: The scene took place in front of TV crews covering the Trump trial, with a CNN anchor calling it an ‘emotional and unbelievably disturbing moment’ A man who doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire outside the courthouse where former US president Donald Trump is on trial has died, police said yesterday. The New York City Police Department (NYPD) said the man was declared dead by staff at an area hospital. The man was in Collect Pond Park at about 1:30pm on Friday when he took out pamphlets espousing conspiracy theories, tossed them around, then doused himself in an accelerant and set himself on fire, officials and witnesses said. A large number of police officers were nearby when it happened. Some officers and bystanders rushed
Beijing is continuing to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uyghurs and other Muslim minorities in its western Xinjiang province, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a report published on Monday, ahead of his planned visit to China this week. The State Department’s annual human rights report, which documents abuses recorded all over the world during the previous calendar year, repeated language from previous years on the treatment of Muslims in Xinjiang, but the publication raises the issue ahead of delicate talks, including on the war in Ukraine and global trade, between the top U.S. diplomat and Chinese
‘IN A DIFFERENT PLACE’: The envoy first visited Shanghai, where he attended a Chinese basketball playoff match, and is to meet top officials in Beijing tomorrow US Secretary of State Antony Blinken yesterday arrived in China on his second visit in a year as the US ramps up pressure on its rival over its support for Russia while also seeking to manage tensions with Beijing. The US diplomat tomorrow is to meet China’s top brass in Beijing, where he is also expected to plead for restraint as Taiwan inaugurates president-elect William Lai (賴清德), and to raise US concerns on Chinese trade practices. However, Blinken is also seeking to stabilize ties, with tensions between the world’s two largest economies easing since his previous visit in June last year. At the