Iran in nuclear spotlight as world urges response

SHANGHAI - Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad is due to meet the Chinese president tomorrow amid intense international pressure on Tehran to abandon a nuclear programme the west fears could be used to make atomic bombs.

Ahmadinejad stole the spotlight at a Central Asian summit in Shanghai today, though his country was only an observer, as the world awaits Tehran's response to a package of incentives aimed at inducing it to abandon uranium enrichment.

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the nuclear dispute with Ahmadinejad today, the foreign ministers of China and Iran also exchanged views on it, and Ahmadinejad was due to meet Chinese President Hu Jintao tomorrow.

But this morning there were no clear signs of Iranian movement on the package. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told reporters that all sides needed patience.

"From the meetings we can feel that the Iranians are looking into this package solution proposed by the six countries seriously, and I think the Iranians might need some extra time," he said.

The five UN Security Council permanent members -- including Russia and China -- plus Germany offered Iran a batch of sweeteners on June 6 to stop purifying uranium, which Iran says is only meant to allow it to generate electricity.

Some Western officials are starting to worry that Iran may drag out its decision past an unofficial July deadline in order to continue work on fuel enrichment.

But China, which has opposed invoking United Nations sanctions to press Iran to rein in its nuclear ambitions, counselled patience as the world waited for Iran's answer.

"It took some time for the six countries to discuss the package before tabling it, and similarly it will also take some time for the Iranians to look into it," Liu told a news conference.

- REUTERS