Brussels, 31/01/2006 (Agence Europe) - At their meeting in London on Monday night, the foreign ministers of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council, along with Germany (which has been negotiating with Iran alongside the UK and France as part of the 'EU3') agreed to send the Iranian nuclear issue to the UN Security Council. China, the United States, Russia, France and the UK 'agreed that this week's Extraordinary IAEA Board meeting (2 February, Ed.) should report to the Security Council its decision on the steps required from Iran,' explains a statement issued by UK foreign secretary Jack Straw on 30 January. The Security Council is the only body that can impose sanctions on Iran in the event it continues with its illicit nuclear processing programme. The statement noted that the ministers 'agreed that the Security Council should await the Director General's report (Mohamed El-Baradei, Ed.) to the March meeting of the IAEA Board… before deciding to take action to reinforce the authority of the IAEA process.' El Baradei is planning to unveil his report on Iran's nuclear programme at the upcoming normal board meeting of the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, on 6 March. The EU3, the United States, Russia and China are urging Iran to fully restore suspension of its uranium enrichment activities, including R&D under the control of the IAEA.
Speaking at a press conference, French foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy, said the ministers wanted to send a united, firm message from the international community to the Iranian authorities to get them to understand they have to suspend their sensitive nuclear programme. He said the diplomatic route, the best route, would then be able to continue. For several months, the United States has been calling for Iran to be sent to the Security Council but Russia and China were reluctant to follow suit. Washington has welcomed the outcome of the London meeting as a 'significant success'. A spokesperson for the Russian foreign minister played down the impact of the decision, saying it was the outcome of an objective and carefully measured debate on the Iranian nuclear issue, and that the Security Council would only be informed of the results of the IAEA Board's Extraordinary Meeting and any possible action would not be taken until March at the earliest. Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ari Larijani, said informing the Security Council was the end of the diplomatic road and was therefore not positive in the slightest. Larijani added that he thought it would be possible to get a good outcome through negotiations, but if the Europeans chose a non-peaceful road, that would not be in their interests.