SWITZERLAND: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon expresses concern over an IAEA report indicating a possible military dimension to Iran's nuclear programme

Record ID: 566366

  • Title: SWITZERLAND: U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon expresses concern over an IAEA report indicating a possible military dimension to Iran's nuclear programme
  • Date: 28th January 2012
  • Summary: DAVOS, SWITZERLAND (JANUARY 27, 2012) (REUTERS) WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE
  • Embargoed: 12th February 2012 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Switzerland, Switzerland
  • Country: Switzerland
  • Topics: International Relations,Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEWQ5EO211FBETP2QM5P3IU0XY
  • Story Text: The recent International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) report suggesting Iran's nuclear programme may have a military dimension is deeply concerning, the U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon said on Friday (January 27).
    Speaking at a news conference at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Ban also said he was encouraged by the situation in Syria and called for investment in sustainable development.
    And he called for investment in sustainable development. "First, we have to do all to save our planet, to revitalise our economy, to address all the social injustices, social inequality. These are the calls from many countries, both developed and in the developing world. We have seen Occupy Wall Street, Occupy all of Europe, whatever. These are coming even from the developed world, not only from the developing world. That is why I'm urging that we need to invest in sustainable development. That is why the UN takes sustainable development as tough priority in addressing these issues," he said.
    As Western states tighten sanctions on Iran and its enemies wage an apparent covert war against an Iranian nuclear programme that the West suspects is intended to produce weapons, Tehran has warned several times it may seal off the Strait of Hormuz, choking the supply of Gulf oil and gas.
    "I am deeply concerned by the report of the most recent IAEA, International Atomic Energy Agency indicating that there is a possibility of a military dimension in Iranian nuclear development programmes on which they say this is a peaceful (one)," Ban said.
    A rare visit by senior U.N. nuclear inspectors this week raises pressure on Iran , though Western powers that are piling on sanctions expect no significant breakthrough.
    The outcome of the inspectors' meetings from Sunday to Tuesday will be closely watched in Washington, European capitals and Israel for signs of whether Iran's leadership may finally be prepared to give ground after a decade of pursuing its nuclear development goals or whether it remains as defiant as ever.
    The U.N. Security Council will meet later in the day to discuss Syria before a possible vote next week on a new Western-Arab draft resolution aimed at halting months of bloodshed.
    "I am encouraged that when it comes to the Syrian situation, the League of Arab States has made a resolution, trying to resolve this issue through a political process. The secretary general of the League of Arab States and the chairman of this, the Qatari prime minister coming to the UN Security Council to brief them, I hope that the Security Council will be able to act in a coherent, in the same voice," said Ban.
    The text of the resolution, obtained by Reuters, calls for a "political transition", but not for U.N. sanctions against President Bashar Al-Assad's government, which Moscow, an old ally of Syria and an important arms supplier to Damascus, opposes.
    Russia, which joined China in vetoing a previous Western draft resolution in October and which has since promoted its own draft, said the Western-Arab version was unacceptable.
    At the U.N. Security Council meeting, Morocco was expected to distribute the new draft resolution backing an Arab League call for Assad to step down. An interim unity government would then prepare for elections and enact security reforms.
    Syria, which says it is pursuing its own political reforms, has rejected the Arab plan as interference in its affairs.
    Fighting erupted in Homs on Friday, a day after townspeople said Alawite militiamen killed 14 members of a Sunni Muslim family in one of Syria's worst sectarian attacks since a revolt against Assad flared in March.
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