WASHINGTON, July 30 (RIA Novosti) - The British and U.S. leaders said Monday their countries would seek tougher sanctions on Iran over its controversial nuclear program and a "step-by-step" handover of security control to indigenous forces in Iraq.
Speaking at a news conference with U.S. President George W. Bush at Camp David, Maryland, British Prime Minister Gordon Brown said: "On Iran, we are in agreement that sanctions are working and the next stage we are ready to move towards is to toughen the sanctions with a further UN resolution."
The United Nations has imposed sanctions on Iran, urging it to suspend its uranium enrichment activities. Iran has been defiant, insisting its nuclear program, which includes a Russian-built nuclear power plant in the south of the country, is purely for peaceful purposes.
On Iraq, Brown said he would not push for a quick withdrawal of Britain's 5,500 troops deployed there, saying that there are "duties to discharge and responsibilities to keep" in Iraq.
Bush said that wrapping up the U.S. military presence in Iraq was likely to take a long time.
"This is going to take a long time in Iraq, just like the ideological struggle is going to take a long time," he said.
Both leaders expressed optimism that a deal could be reached at the latest Doha round of World Trade Organization talks, which have so far been stalled over the issue of agricultural subsidies and other disputes.
