NPT Conference Could End Prematurely

Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty talks in Vienna remained inactive today as Iranian diplomats said they needed more time to consult with officials in their capital, Reuters reported (see GSN, May 4).

Iran has refused to adopt a proposed agenda for the planned two-week meeting that began April 30, objecting to agenda language that calls for “reaffirming the need for full compliance” with the treaty.  Iranian officials fear that the wording would open the nation to international criticism as a crisis simmers over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions, Reuters reported (see related GSN story, today).

The weeklong delay could force the meeting’s chairman, Japanese Ambassador Yukiya Amano, to end the meeting today or tomorrow to prevent a spectacle of unending, useless talks, according to Reuters.

About 130 nations are participating in the meeting, intended to help prepare them for the treaty’s 2010 review conference.  NPT meetings have historically made decisions by consensus, allowing single nations the power to prevent the acceptance of decisions (Mark Heinrich, Reuters I/Washington Post, May 7).

“We do not have instructions from our capital yet. We hope it will be tomorrow,” said one Iranian diplomat.  Officials are reviewing a South African compromise proposal that would attach language to the agenda clarifying that the disputed language was meant to order the compliance “with all provisions” of the treaty.

The clarification was intended to address an Iranian complaint that the proposed agenda inadequately urges nuclear powers to meet the treaty’s disarmament obligations (Reuters II/New York Times, May 7).

Some diplomats questioned Iran’s sincerity in trying to resolve the agenda dispute.

“The Iranians seem chiefly interested in seeing this meeting fail,” said one delegate.

Even nations from the Nonaligned Movement that often support Iran in similar settings have avoided backing Tehran this time.

“The mood was bad,” said one NAM diplomat.

Amano scheduled an all-parties meeting this afternoon to discuss the place and date for the next meeting, the Associated Press reported (George Jahn, Associated Press/San Jose Mercury News, May 7)..

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