Brazil Signs on to UN Sanctions Against Iran

10 Aug 2010 (AFP) BRASILIA — Brazil Tuesday signed on to UN sanctions against Iran despite misgivings over the measures following its efforts to negotiate a nuclear-swap deal with the Islamic state.

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva signed the decree “because there is a tradition of carrying out (UN) Security Council resolutions, including those we don’t agree with,” Foreign Minister Celso Amorim told reporters.

Brazil and Turkey voted against the UN sanctions resolution when it was put to the security council in June.

The two countries had brokered an agreement from Tehran in May to hand over much of its stock of low-enriched uranium in exchange for higher-enriched nuclear fuel unable to be used to develop atomic weapons.

The United States and its allies called the agreement insufficient and moved on with the sanctions resolution.

Washington fears Iran is developing a nuclear arsenal under cover of its energy program, something Tehran denies.

Brazilian officials had already said they would observe the sanctions imposed on Iran, regardless of their opposition to them.