Brazil, Turkey vote against UN Security Council draft resolution on Iran sanctions
UNITED NATIONS, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Brazil and Turkey, the two non-permanent members of the UN Security Council, on Wednesday voted against the draft resolution of the UN Security Council to impose new sanctions against Iran. Lebanon, another non-permanent member of the Security Council, abstained from the vote.
Brazil and Turkey mediated an agreement with Iran to promote a nuclear fuel swap they reached with Tehran last month.
Maria Luiza Ribeiro Viotti, Brazil's permanent representative to the United Nations, told an open Council meeting before the vote that "the adoption of sanctions runs contrary to the successful efforts of Brazil and Turkey in a negotiated ( opportunity ) in regards to its trade program."
"The Tehran declaration showed that dialogue and cooperation can do more than punitive action," she said.
For his part, Frtugrul Apakan, the Turkish permanent representative to the United Nations, said at the Council meeting "we are deeply concerned that adoption sanctions will negatively affect the momentum created by the declaration and the overall diplomatic process."
"Our vote against the resolution should not be construed as indifference to questions regarding the nature of Iran's nuclear program," he said. "We call upon Iran to show full transparency and cooperate with the IAEA to restore confidence."
"The sanction's resolution was adopted today despite our unrelenting efforts," he said. "The adoption should not be seen as an end to diplomatic efforts."
"After the adoption, efforts toward finding a peaceful solution towards this solution has to be continued more resolutely," he said.
The Security Council voted to adopt the new resolution on Iran. It is the fourth set of sanctions imposed by the Security Council on Iran since December 2006. The last resolution on Iran sanctions was adopted in March 2008.
The U.S. resolution was co-sponsored by Britain and France. An agreement was reached on the draft resolution in the wake of rounds of hard negotiations by the five permanent members of the Security Council -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- and Germany.