Security Council chief opposes sanctions against Iran

United Nations (KUNA) – A Libyan who took over as president of the UN Security Council on Thursday said his country will not support further sanctions on Iran for its nuclear program.

“I do not wish to speak in a final manner on my government’s position in the event there is a plan to impose further sanctions on Iran. But as a country that has suffered from sanctions, we would be definitely in a difficult position when sanctions are proposed,” Libya’s envoy to UN, Jadallah Al-Talhi, told a press conference on Thursday in New York.

“We enjoy good ties with Iran. Its vice-president has recently visited Libya. We also enjoy good relations with the U.S. On the other hand, we support states’ right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. We believe this is completely in line with the non-proliferation treaty,” he added in answer to a question on whether Libya will support sanctions on Iran or seek a balance between its good relations with both U.S. and Iran.

He said the Libyan-U.S. relations are “back to normal and I think moving in the right direction, perhaps not in the desirable speed ... we are happy about that and I think they are happy about that too, that’s why we have our (foreign) minister there”.

He conceded that the Iranian file was among the issues the Iranian vice-president discussed with Libyan officials recently in Tripoli.

He said Libya will try to “understand better the position of the two parties. We will try to be constructive when this subject will be discussed in the council, but not this month” while he is council president.

He said the issue is not on the council’s agenda for this month simply because nobody knows when the P5 plus Germany will bring it to the council. “They themselves don’t know,” he noted.

The council presidency rotates monthly among members, based on alphabetical order in English. The job requires setting the monthly agenda and running council meetings, but it does not give an ambassador automatic entry into talks exclusive to the most powerful members.

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