UN's new resolution on Iran free of 'paralyzing measures', says diplomat

.

UNITED NATIONS, May 19 (Itar-Tass) - New draft resolution on Iran that
the U.S. submitted to the UN Security Council Tuesday does not contain any
paralyzing measures, which were mentioned here some two months ago when
work on the document was just in the phase of inception, Russia's
Ambassador to the UN, Vitaly Churkin said Tuesday.
The current text of the resolution "specifies very clearly only the
things that may directly facilitate the effectuation of the nuclear
program by the Iranians and create risks in the sphere of
nonproliferation," he said
"Also, it has items specifying pressure on Iran, for instance, a
provision banning the exports of certain types of heavy armaments to it,"
Churkin said.
"Yet this proposal has been formulated in very reserved terms, since
it doesn't mean an absolutely full embargo on supplies of arms to Iran,
given the fact is has the right to self-defense like any other country
does," he said.
At the Security Council meeting, Russian delegation praised the
Brazilian-Turkish initiative on the exchange of enriched uranium for a
research nuclear reactor in Teheran.
"A very important step is to be made in this direction shortly, as
Iran is supposed to send a letter to the International Atomic Energy
Agency in line with the existing agreements," Churkin said.
"Our partners and we ourselves will study the contents of that letter
and there's a possibility of getting some encouraging dynamics in that
area," he said. "We'd like very much to see it appear."
Churkin indicated the possibility of other steps as well.
"For instance, the six countries /negotiating the Iranian nuclear
problem/ have for quite some time been urging Teheran to open talks on the
entire range of existing problems, including the nuclear program but so
far we haven't gotten any distinct response from the Iranians," he said.
"The draft focuses on the tasks of ensuring that the Iranian program
should not pose a risk from the angle of view of nonproliferation,"
Churkin said, adding that the contents of the document should not create
problems for normal life and operations in the Islamic Republic or for its
trade with other countries.
"And of course it shouldn't undermine the humanitarian situation in
Iran," Churkin said.
"This draft resolution is well balanced and that's why we agreed to
accept the text on the whole after the long discussions and corrections of
the initial proposals and we find it to be an appropriate one," he said.
Churkin said, however, it is difficult to forecast right now how much
time the members of the Security Council will need to coordinate the text.
"We can't says now how long it will take to adopt this resolution," he
said. "All will depend on the reaction of the Council's members, and on
the work that's yet to be done - including in the format of the six
negotiating countries /five permanent members of the Security Council and
Germany - Itar-Tass/ -- in what concerns the sanction lists."
"Quite naturally, members of the Council will weigh out the general
political situation, including the progress Iran will be able to show, and
the progress the international community will make in creating positive
dynamics," Churkin said.
He indicated that this applies to the pattern of exchange of fuel for
the Teheran research reactor and, on a broader plane, many other issues
pertaining to the Iranian nuclear program.
As reported earlier, the draft resolution specifies sanctions against
the Iranian banks that are linked to the execution of the country's
nuclear program.
Also, it establishes the mechanisms for inspecting the ships that fall
under the suspicion of hauling the cargoes, which might serve the purpose
of the Iranian nuclear and missile programs.
The draft spells out a range of other restrictive measures.
U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Susan Rice said the document is called upon
to toughen the already existing UN sanctions.
She indicated that it is meant to press Iran into meeting the
international community's requirements.

.Days of Russian Spiritual Culture to begin in Vatican City.

VATICAN CITY, May 19 (Itar-Tass) - Days of Russian Spiritual Culture
begin in Vatican City Wednesday. They are timed for a visit to Italy by
the chief of Moscow Patriarchate's department for external relations,
Metropolitan Hilarion.
As part of the Days, an international theological forum and a concert
of Russian spiritual music will be held.
A seminar that will be held Wednesday under the guidance of
Metropolitan Hilarion, Cardinal Walter Kasper, who is the President of the
Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, and heads of other
departments of the curia at the conference hall of the St Catherine's
Russian Orthodox church will be devoted to the common Christian roots of
the Roman Catholic and the Eastern Orthodox Churches and the common tasks
they are facing in today's Europe.
Thursday, the Russian National Orchestra, the Synodal Choir, and the
St Petersburg ensemble of wind instrumens will perform music by Nikolai
Rimsky-Korsakov, Serge Rakhmaninov, Pyotr Tchaikovsky, Modest Mussorgsky,
and some other Russian composers at the Vatican's Auditorium named after
Pope Paul VI.
In the final part of the concert, the Russian musicians will perform
Metropolitan Hilarion's composition 'A Song of the Ascent'.
Pope Benedict XVI is expected to attend.
In the course of the trip that Metropolitan Hilarion is effectuating
at the blessing of the Patriarch of Moscow and all Russia Kirill, he has
visited Bologna where he read a lecture in one of Europe's oldest
universities.
He also visited Ravenna, Milan and Piedmont where he led a festive
liturgy in front of the Shroud of Turin.
-0-kle


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