Abu Dhabi: The United Arab Emirates will
respect any sanctions imposed by the United Nations on key
trading partner Iran, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin
Zayed al-Nahayan said on Saturday.
"The Emirates will respect any international sanctions
that could be imposed by the UN Security Council on Iran," he
said at a news conference with visiting Cyprus Foreign
Minister Markos Kyprianou.
But he nevertheless said he hoped the international
community will solve its row with Iran "through diplomatic
means ... before reaching this phase" of imposing fresh
sanctions on Tehran.
His remarks come days only after a visit to Abu Dhabi by
US Defence Secretary Robert Gates who said Saudi Arabia and
the UAE had signalled a willingness to press China to support
tough new sanctions on Iran.
The two oil-rich Arab states were also open to lobbying
Moscow on the issue "although there`s less need with respect
to Russia," said Gates -- who also visited Saudi Arabia this
week -- as it was more supportive of sanctions.
The focus was "mainly China," Gates said in Abu Dhabi on
Thursday.
His comments suggested the United States could be making
headway in its push to secure international support for harsh
financial sanctions designed to force Iran to give up its
uranium enrichment work.
PTI
