U.S. drafts new nuclear resolution
The United States has distributed a new draft resolution on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation to other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council that includes a pledge by nuclear states to not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states. It also would make the “right” of a country to pursue a peaceful nuclear program contingent on not being found in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty’s other obligations.
Neither Iran nor other countries are explicitly mentioned in the draft text, which calls on all countries to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It does not name the four holdouts: India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel.
But the proposal to tie the development of a peaceful nuclear program to a country’s NPT compliance seems aimed particularly at Iran. Under the proposal, countries such as Iran that have been found to be in violation of their NPT obligations would not have a recognized “right” to enrich uranium, as Iran frequently has asserted, according to the Arms Control Association’s executive director, Daryl Kimball.
The draft resolution, obtained by POLITICO, is being circulated ahead of President Barack Obama’s debut before the Security Council next week and is a centerpiece of his administration’s efforts to set a new tone of international partnership at the U.N. Obama will chair the council’s Sept. 24 meeting on nonproliferation, becoming the first U.S. president to chair a Security Council meeting.
Meanwhile, Iran’s nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, has agreed to meet European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana — the envoy of the so-called P5+1 group, which includes the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany — on Oct. 1 to begin new talks accepted by both sides last week.
Senior U.S. officials and U.S. allies have indicated that it would take a few weeks to test whether Iran is prepared to seriously address its nuclear program in negotiations, meaning that new sanctions against Iran will not be tabled at the U.N. next week.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27148.html#ixzz0RCJEjPYT
The United States has distributed a new draft resolution on nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation to other permanent members of the United Nations Security Council that includes a pledge by nuclear states to not use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states. It also would make the “right” of a country to pursue a peaceful nuclear program contingent on not being found in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty’s other obligations.
Neither Iran nor other countries are explicitly mentioned in the draft text, which calls on all countries to join the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It does not name the four holdouts: India, Pakistan, North Korea and Israel.
But the proposal to tie the development of a peaceful nuclear program to a country’s NPT compliance seems aimed particularly at Iran. Under the proposal, countries such as Iran that have been found to be in violation of their NPT obligations would not have a recognized “right” to enrich uranium, as Iran frequently has asserted, according to the Arms Control Association’s executive director, Daryl Kimball.
The draft resolution, obtained by POLITICO, is being circulated ahead of President Barack Obama’s debut before the Security Council next week and is a centerpiece of his administration’s efforts to set a new tone of international partnership at the U.N. Obama will chair the council’s Sept. 24 meeting on nonproliferation, becoming the first U.S. president to chair a Security Council meeting.
Meanwhile, Iran’s nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, has agreed to meet European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana — the envoy of the so-called P5+1 group, which includes the five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany — on Oct. 1 to begin new talks accepted by both sides last week.
Senior U.S. officials and U.S. allies have indicated that it would take a few weeks to test whether Iran is prepared to seriously address its nuclear program in negotiations, meaning that new sanctions against Iran will not be tabled at the U.N. next week.
Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0909/27148.html#ixzz0RCJEjPYT