Viet Nam calls for favourable conditions for solution of Iran issue

New York (VNA) – Viet Nam , in deciding to vote in favour of the UN Security Council draft resolution on the Iran nuclear issue, is strongly convinced that favourable conditions must be created for the peaceful solution of the issue.
The United Nations Security Council on March 3 passed a resolution on the Iran nuclear issue with 14 votes in favour and one abstention.
Addressing the Security Council session before the vote, Ambassador Le Luong Minh, permanent representative of Viet Nam stressed that as a responsible party to the Treaty on Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, Viet Nam attaches great importance to all the three major pillars of the Treaty, namely non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, respect for the rights of all the parties to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and the pursuit of each of the parties in negotiations on measures relating to ending the nuclear arms race and to nuclear disarmament.
“We hold that their full implementation of the obligations under the NPT and their full enjoyment of the benefits that this Treaty brings about will contribute effectively to the maintenance of international peace and security and the social and economic development of States Parties to the Treaty,” he said.
The ambassador went on to say, “Keeping in mind the importance it attaches to those three major pillars of the NPT, Viet Nam has closely followed the Iran nuclear issue with great interest in seeing it resolved by peaceful means and through dialogue. Viet Nam always welcomes and supports the efforts of the United Nations, the International Atomic Energy Agency as well as those of countries or groups of countries concerned to this end. At international forums, including the United Nations, the Non-Aligned Movement and at the IAEA and in its bilateral dealings with other countries, Viet Nam has consistently manifested its above-mentioned position and made contributions to the promotion of international dialogue and cooperation aimed at settling the outstanding issues in this connection.”
Ambassador Minh emphasised that Viet Nam had actively participated in the process of negotiating the text of the draft resolution contained in document S/2008/141 and had proposed changes to the effect that Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA, the progress in the implementation of the IAEA-Iran work plan would be more positively recognised; the authority and role of the IAEA as the body mandated to resolve the non-proliferation issues within the framework of the NPT would be more adequately reflected; the rights of States to carry out normal international trade activities would be respected; and, implementation by States of provisions of this to-be-adopted resolution must be in accordance with their national legislation and consistent with international law, in particular the law of the sea and relevant international civil aviation agreements,…
He said, “With such changes we proposed and those by other Council Members incorporated, with the fact that both the draft resolution and the Statement to be issued by the Foreign Ministers of China, France, Germany, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States advocate a diplomatic and negotiated solution to the Iran nuclear issue, the fact that the 22 February 2008 report of the Director-General of the IAEA while recognising progress in Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA does indicate that Iran still needs to respond to requests by the Security Council and the IAEA, the fact that the scope of implementation envisaged in this draft resolution is basically the same as in the previous resolutions, namely resolutions 1737 (2006) and 1747 (2007) adopted with consensus by the Council, Viet Nam will vote in favour of the draft resolution contained in document S/2008/141.”
Ambassador Minh made a point that “Deciding to vote in favour of the draft resolution mentioned above, we are strongly convinced that favourable conditions must be created for the peaceful solution of the Iran nuclear issue, including cessation of hostile policies against Iran, assurance of Iran’s legitimate security interests and respect for the right of Iran to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. We also believe that the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free-zone in the Middle East in accordance with relevant resolutions of the United Nations General Assembly and the adherence by all States in the region to the NPT will be positive steps in this direction.”
Before the Security Council session, Ambassador Minh, as chairman of the non-aligned group in the Council in March, chaired the group’s meeting on its common stance regarding Iran ’s request that it be allowed to address the Council before the vote. The ambassador, on behalf of the non-aligned group, presented to the Council’s plenary session the group’s stance that supported Iran ’s request and the Council, at the recommendation of the Chair ( Russia ) accepted the non-aligned group’s stance.