China’s Foreign Minister In Tehran: “No More Sanctions”
China FM in Iran for nuclear talks
TEHRAN, Nov 13 (AFP) Nov 13, 2007
President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad held talks on Tuesday with Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi on Iran’s controversial nuclear drive, insisting he wanted to cooperate with Europe and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Ahmadinejad told Yang that Iran wishes “to pursue dialogue and cooperation with the IAEA and the Europeans,” his office said in a statement carried by the state news agency IRNA.
The Iranian president also spoke “of the resistance of the Iranian people and the fact that friends of the Islamic republic are with it” in this resistance, the statement said.
The visit by Yang, who also met with Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, came as Beijing urged Iran to be flexible but remained wary of Western pressure for sanctions.
“We urge Iran to respond to the concerns of the international community and take a more flexible stance so as to promote a resolution on the issue,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao said ahead of the visit.
Liu said more sanctions would likely be counterproductive.
“We believe that all parties should show patience and sincerity over this issue, while any sanctions, particular unilateral sanctions, will do no good,” he said.
China has been reluctant to support US pressure for a third UN sanctions resolution against Tehran.
The United States has expressed impatience with the refusal of China and Russia to back the calls for further sanctions to punish Tehran for its refusal to suspend sensitive uranium enrichment work.
The five permanent members of the UN Security Council — Britain, France, the United States, Russia and China — plus Germany met in London on Friday to discuss strengthened sanctions against Iran under another resolution.
The United States and its Western allies fear Iran will use enrichment to make a nuclear bomb. But Iran insists its nuclear programme is entirely peaceful and Moscow and Beijing have never backed the Western claims.
Yang’s visit comes two weeks after a lightening trip to Tehran by his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov, who has echoed Beijing’s suspicions over imposing further sanctions against Iran.
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Yes … no more sanctions … start bombing.
November 13th, 2007 at 10:41 am>> Ahmadinejad told Yang that Iran wishes “to pursue dialogue and cooperation with the IAEA and the Europeans,”
He’s had years to cooperate and NOT deceive, delay, and deny.
Tick, tick, tick.
November 13th, 2007 at 11:10 am