Saturday, March 18 2006 09:56 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

United Nations: The Security Council is inching toward agreeing a revised Franco-British draft urging Iran to suspend uranium enrichment, diplomats have said as China suggested that Tehran be given up to six weeks to do so.

The 15-member council met for over one hour yesterday to review the revised text, which incorporated comments made by members after a series of informal sessions earlier this week. Members agreed to meet again Tuesday after getting reactions from their capitals.

"The response we got from our colleagues today suggests that we are pretty close to where they wanted us to be," Britain's UN envoy Emyr Jones Parry told reporters.

"Our wish remains that the council should act expeditiously on this text and send the clearest possible signal (to Tehran). To reinforce the activities of the (International Atomic Energy Agency) Agency," he added.

French Ambassador Jean-Marc de La Sabliere also said he was 'encouraged by the reaction' to the revised text, which he noted was 'getting a lot of support.'

"We are not very far now from the end of the discussion," the French envoy said, adding that the co-sponsors were awaiting reactions from their members' capitals to the text.

"I hope the reactions will be positive. Elements of the revised draft released yesterday said the UN nuclear watchdog would report.

"To the Security Council as well as to the IAEA board of governors, in (14) days on Iranian compliance with the requirements set out by the IAEA board," it said.