[box] UNITED NATIONS — Russia voiced optimism yesterday that a new European UN draft resolution on Iran’s nuclear ambitions could be adopted soon, perhaps even by Christmas as the West wants.“It should not take too long,” Moscow’s UN Ambassador Vitaly Churkin told reporters after a meeting among six key nations on the UN Security Council resolution imposing sanctions on dangerous materials Iran can import.

The proposals are a reaction to Iran’s failure to comply with an August 31 UN deadline to suspend uranium enrichment, which can produce fuel for nuclear power plants or for bombs. Iran has argued it is pursuing nuclear power for peaceful purposes, while the West believes Tehran’s research is a cover for bomb making.

The US-backed resolution, which Britain and France circulated to full 15-member council, would also impose a travel ban and freeze the assets of institutions and individuals involved in Iran’s nuclear programme and ballistic missile programme. They hope for a vote before Christmas.

But China’s UN Ambassador Wang Guangya made clear Beijing and Moscow were uneasy about those provisions and wanted “maybe a few small fixes” but “we are closer”.

“Maybe we have to consider this travel ban, the financials,” Wang said. “The travel ban will always be regarded as a humiliation.”

In an effort to get Russian support, Britain, France, and Germany, backed by the United States, circulated a new draft that narrowed bans to the most dangerous bomb-building materials and technology. Their original text barred nearly all nuclear-related goods and ballistic missile materials, including dual-use items.

The revised draft retains a provision urging nations to “prevent specialised teaching or training” of Iranian nationals in areas that could advance training of banned nuclear activities.

A key concession to Russia was allowing the continued construction and supply of fuel to an $800 million light-water reactor it is building at Bushehr in southwest Iran. The original draft was ambiguous on fuel supplies.

Churkin emphasised this change because Bushehr was “now out of the draft and this is certainly an important development.”

Earlier in Moscow, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov praised the draft, saying the revisions were “along the lines of the Russian proposals aimed at encouraging Iran to sit down at the negotiating table.”