April 16, 2010 (RFE/RL) – Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak says Malaysia’s state-run oil company has suspended gasoline supplies to Iran due to that country’s continuing standoff with the international community over its nuclear program.
Najib spoke about the suspension following talks in Washington on April 15 with U.S. President Barack Obama.
The Malaysian leader called on Tehran to comply with decisions of the United Nations Security Council. He said Malaysia believes Iran has the right to peaceful nuclear energy but said Iran must also earn the trust of the international community by being fully transparent on its atomic development.
Iran is one of the world’s biggest crude-oil exporters but must reportedly import around 40 percent of its gasoline supplies, such as from the Malaysian state firm Petronas, because of a lack of functioning refineries.
The Malaysian leader spoke as envoys from six world powers held another closed-door meeting in New York on April 15 on a possible fourth round of UN sanctions against Iran for failing to halt nuclear activities that could be diverted toward production of a nuclear weapon.
It was the second straight day of talks on the Iran sanctions issue among ambassadors from the five veto-wielding members of the UN Security Council — Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States — plus Germany.
Malaysia recalled its envoy to the UN’s nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), after Kuala Lumpur said he disregarded orders by voting against an IAEA resolution to censure Iran for its covert construction of a nuclear enrichment plant.
compiled from agency reports
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