Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing met in Beijing Thursday
with visiting Iran's Deputy Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi,
exchanging views on current situation of the Iran nuclear
issue.
Both Li and Araghchi agreed that the Iran nuclear issue should
be solved through diplomatic negotiation.
Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Cui Tiankai held talks with
Araghchi on Thursday.
China on Thursday called for positive response to the proposals
agreed by the five UN Security Council permanent members and
Germany on solution to the Iran nuclear issue.
"We hope the proposals will receive positive response from all
the parties concerned so that negotiations will be resumed soon,"
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Liu Jianchao told a news briefing,
describing the proposals as an "important foundation" for the
issue's solution.
Meanwhile, Liu confirmed at the briefing that Iran's President
Mahmud Ahmadinejad will come to China to attend the Shanghai
Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit slated for June 15 in
Shanghai.
Iran, together with Mongolia, Pakistan and India, are SCO
observers.
Liu said Hu Jintao will hold bilateral meetings with the
presidents of the SCO member states and observers on the sidelines
of the summit, including Ahmadinejad.
Liu said China had discussed Iran's nuclear issue with the
country in the past and will continue to do so in the future to
improve mutual understanding.
"China will continue to make positive efforts to help peacefully
solve the Iran nuclear issue through negotiations," Liu said.
European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Javier Solana went to
Tehran on Monday to present to Iran a package of incentives, which
was agreed last week among the five UN Security Council permanent
members, Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States, plus
Germany, in exchange for Iran's suspension of uranium
enrichment.
Details of the proposals are unknown, but EU diplomats said they
included a light-water nuclear reactor and a foreign supply of
atomic fuel for Iran, as well as an offer to suspend sanctions
against Iran in the UN Security Council.
The proposals also carry penalties that can be applied by the
United Nations Security Council if Tehran does not cooperate, said
the diplomats, according to earlier reports.
(Xinhua News Agency June 9, 2006)
