MOSCOW (AP) - Russia and China are calling on Iran to meet U-N
Security Council demands over its nuclear program.

In a joint statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin
(POO'-tihn) and China's President Hu Jintao (hoo jin-tow) say
they're ready to search for a "mutually acceptable" solution to
the matter. They also emphasized the need to resolve the dispute
"exclusively through peaceful means."

Iran has defied U-N calls for it to stop enriching uranium,
claiming the program is needed to meet the country's energy needs.
Yesterday, Tehran announced it was partially suspending its
cooperation with the U-N nuclear watchdog agency. That came in
response to the Security Council's approval of new, tighter
sanctions.

The European Union's foreign policy chief says he'll try to talk
with Iran's top nuclear negotiator today, adding "the sooner the
better."

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

AP-NY-03-26-07 1157EDT