Continued diplomatic efforts included in draft UN resolution on Iran nuke issue

BEIJING, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- China says the six nations have reached consensus on the major elements of a draft United Nations resolution on the Iran nuclear issue, which says the all sides will continue diplomatic efforts and resolve the issue through negotiations.

Foreign Ministers from China, the United States, Russia, Britain, France and Germany held talks on Tuesday in Berlin on the Iran nuclear issue.

Jiang Yu, Foreign Ministry spokesperson, said at a regular press conference Thursday that the consensus is the result of negotiations and discussions of the six sides.

The draft resolution also welcomes progress made by Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on resolving some unsolved issues, and encourages them to continue the work, Jiang said.

She called for all relevant sides to strengthen diplomatic efforts, and take the initiative to find a creative way to break the deadlock, so as to solve the nuclear issue in a comprehensive and proper way.

According to Jiang, the draft resolution will be submitted to the UN Security Council and go through further discussions of all members of the Security Council.

"Therefore, the international community should have more diplomatic efforts in such a crucial point for a comprehensive and proper solution of the nuclear issue," she said.

According to Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs Sergei Lavrov, the draft resolution envisages additional measures against that country, but they are not harsh sanctions.

The draft resolution "clearly confirms that if Iran agrees with proposals made by the six nations, direct negotiations will be launched to settle all issues on the Iranian nuclear program -- direct negotiations involving the six nations, including the United States," Lavrov said.

The diplomatic standoff between Iran and the West began almost six years ago over suspicions that Tehran's nuclear work is a cover for an atomic weapons program.

So far, the UN Security Council has adopted two resolutions, one in December of 2006 and the other in March of 2007, to force Iran to suspend its uranium enrichment activities and give up its nuclear programs.