The resolutions the Council reaffirmed -- 1696 (2006), 1737 (2006), 1747 (2007) and 1803 (2008) -- demanded under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter that Iran suspend uranium enrichment and heavy-water-related projects, and also established sanctions for non-compliance.

Unanimously adopting resolution 1835 (2008), the Council recalled the 3 March joint statement of the Foreign Ministers of China, France, Germany, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom and the United States with the support of the High Representative of the European Union. That statement, read out during a Council meeting (see Press Release SC/9268), described a commitment to an early negotiated solution and the countries' "dual-track" approach that offered Iran "substantial opportunities" for political, security and economic benefits.

The Council reaffirmed its commitment within that framework to an early negotiated solution to the Iranian nuclear issue and welcomed the continuing efforts in that regard.

Before the vote, the representative of Indonesia, who had abstained from voting for resolution 1803 (2008), said the current draft resolution did not provide for additional sanctions against Iran, noting that he would not have supported it if it did. As a matter of principle, Indonesia attached the greatest weight to a negotiated solution, and firmly believed that negotiations offered the best chance for that. He, therefore, appreciated the incorporation of Indonesia's amendments that reaffirmed the commitment to a negotiated solution as part of the "dual track" approach. Indonesia would work to ensure that Council resolutions added value, and provided incentives -- not disincentives -- to negotiations. For those reasons, Indonesia would vote in favour of the draft resolution.

The meeting started at 4:05 p.m. and adjourned at 4:10 p.m.