KEY POINTS:
The Government has spelled out its opposition to Iran's nuclear programme to the country's new Ambassador.
Disarmament Minister Phil Goff said he made New Zealand's position "perfectly clear" when he met the Ambassador, Morteza Rahmani Movahed, in Wellington.
"We are disappointed that Iran has chosen not to comply with the provisions of United Nations Security Council resolution 1737. This is a lost opportunity for Iran to address the concerns of the international community."
This week Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer urged New Zealand to take a stronger line on Iran.
Mr Goff said Tehran's refusal to comply with United Nations Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency resolutions was of serious concern.
Iran needed to suspend its enrichment programme and allow the IAEA access if the international community was to have confidence in the country, he said.
On February 22, IAEA director-general Mohamed ElBaradei reported that Iran had not suspended its uranium enrichment and reprocessing activities and failed to comply with Security Council resolution 1737, which imposed a range of sanctions on its uranium enrichment and ballistic missile programmes.
"As a member of the United Nations, New Zealand is bound by Security Council decisions. We are currently working on implementing the obligations in the resolution. However, it is unlikely that New Zealand is exporting any item to Iran that would come within the current sanctions," Mr Goff said.
"It remains New Zealand's strong preference that a peaceful, negotiated solution be reached."
- NZPA
