Word: lavrov
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...urging Iran to open its books and lab doors to intrusive international inspections. But the plan met resistance from Russia, which wants to avoid Security Council involvement altogether. "It's a fundamental problem," says a senior U.S. official. U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice telephoned Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov but made little headway. She plans to visit Berlin, Paris and Britain this week in an effort to hammer out a statement that can win unanimous backing in the Security Council. Meanwhile, Tehran has sped up research work on the uranium enrichment that lies at the heart of the dispute...
...best to deal with Iran's nuclear ambitions, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice added her own personal touch to the diplomatic wrangling half a world away. Rice interrupted her travels Wednesday morning through Indonesia and Australia to place a call to her Russian counterpart, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, in Moscow. A State Department official says they discussed how best to take "firm, meaningful action" to rein in Iran, which insists it has the right to enrich uranium for what it says are peaceful purposes. But another knowledgeable U.S. official goes further, asserting that Rice called Lavrov to voice concern...
...sanctions," says the U.S. official. The Russians, he says, "are not ready for sanctions. They want to buy time, stretch the process out." But no one is making it easy on them. In addition to Rice's entreaty, U.S. Ambassasdor to Russia William Burns paid a call Tuesday on Lavrov, and, according to the Interfax News Agency, French foreign minister Philippe Douste-Blazy also telephoned...
...backroom wrangling about the wording of the Security Council statement will intensify next Monday when Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns and his counterparts from the other Permanent Members of the Security Council plus Germany convene in Manhattan. As she did with Lavrov, Rice is expected to weigh in with her peers from the other countries, but it is possible that the Iran diplomacy may reach even higher levels of government. If it becomes necessary, says one U.S. official, President Bush himself could place a call or two to Moscow and Beijing...
...Washington's diplomatic efforts on Iran's nuclear program oppose both regime change and economic sanctions. China wants a brief statement of concern from the Security Council before sending the matter back to the IAEA and giving more time for Russia to negotiate a compromise; Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov warned Monday that despite the agreement in Vienna to refer the issue to the Security Council, there is no consensus among the key Council members on how to take the matter forward. Meanwhile the U.S. wants the matter to stay at the Council and Tehran to be given tight deadlines...