G-8 gives Iran three months to stop uranium enrichment

CA Online and wire services
For Al-Shorfa.com
2009-09-25

G-8 President and Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini reads a document on Iran in Corfu, Greece on June 28. (Reuters/Yiorgos Karahalis)

WASHINGTON — Pressure on Iran increased on Sept. 25, when the world's eight top economic powers gave Tehran until the end of the year to stop enriching uranium or face new sanctions. However, resistance from China could undermine their effort.

The West has been pushing for stronger sanctions on Iran if it does not agree to end enrichment, which many nations believe is part of Tehran's drive to build a nuclear weapon. Iran says its nuclear programme is designed to generate electricity.

On Sept. 24, Russian President Dmitry Medvedev suggested he could now back such sanctions if they became necessary.

However, the effort to pass a new sanctions resolution through the Security Council was undercut when China, one of the veto-wielding permanent members, rejected the idea.

Further diplomatic efforts should be made instead, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu told reporters at a Beijing news conference, reiterating China’s long-held stance.

Beijing relies heavily on Iranian oil imports.

Current U.N. sanctions on Iran prohibit the export of sensitive nuclear material and technology. They also allow the inspection of cargo suspected to hold prohibited goods, tighter monitoring of financial institutions and the extension of travel bans and asset freezes if linked to its nuclear programme.

Italian Foreign Minister Franco Frattini said the G-8 has given Iran until the end of the year to commit to ending uranium enrichment if it wants to avoid new sanctions.

Frattini, whose nation holds the rotating chair of the group of economic powers known as the G-8, said the informal agreement will be re-examined every month. He added "And after the end of December, I strongly hope we will have at that time practical moves from Iran."

The policy comes on the eve of an Oct. 1 meeting of diplomats from Iran, the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany on Tehran's nuclear programme.

Iran's accumulation of well over 1,000 kilograms (2,200 pounds) of low-grade enriched uranium gives it more than enough material to produce sufficient weapons-grade uranium through further enrichment for one nuclear weapon.

[AP]

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