China
said on Thursday that discussions of new sanctions against
Iran
over its controversial nuclear program could undermine the efforts to resolve
the issue using diplomacy.
"To talk about sanctions at the moment will complicate the
situation and might stand in the way of finding a diplomatic solution,"
the BBC quoted Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi as saying during his
current visit to France.
France
and the
United
States
are the strongest proponents of new sanctions through the UN against
Iran
among the six international mediators, which also include
Russia
,
China
,
Britain
and
Germany
.
Western powers suspect
Iran
of developing nuclear weapons under the current uranium enrichment program.
Iran
has denied the claims but has refused so far to officially accept a nuclear
fuel swap proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
However, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad indicated a possible
change in
Tehran
's position by saying on Tuesday that
Tehran
had "no
problem" with shipping out its low-enriched uranium abroad for further
enrichment into 20% fuel for its nuclear research reactor.
The Chinese minister said this move signaled a change in the Iranian
position and left more room for further negotiations.
"The whole thing is still evolving, and we think it is very
important to concentrate on the diplomatic interaction and through dialogue and
consultation we should seek every chance for an appropriate and mutually
acceptable solution to this issue," Yang Jiechi said.
His remarks appear to be a serious setback for the renewed Western push
for strong sanctions against
Iran
because
China
, with its Security Council veto power and its seat on the board of the
governors of the IAEA, plays a key role in how the global community deals with
Tehran
.
The six mediators last met in
New York
on January 16, but in the face of Chinese resistance to a tougher course of
action decided against immediate sanctions in the hope of finding new political
and diplomatic solutions to the problem.
(from Ria Novosti)