Germany welcomed a resolution passed by the United Nations Security Council on Saturday to impose sanctions on Iran over its controversial nuclear program.

The resolution, adopted unanimously by the Security Council, demanded that Iran "suspend all enrichment-related and reprocessing activities, including research and development," and "work on all heavy water-related projects."

German Chancellor Angela Merkel was quoted by the German news agency DPA as saying that the unanimous nature of the resolution reinforced the importance of the move and demonstrated that the international community was prepared to come together to find a solution to the dispute over the Iranian nuclear issue.

The resolution also called on all states to impose a ban on trade with Iran in goods related to its nuclear programs and ballistic missile delivery systems.

German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier said the resolution represented an "important signal of the unanimity of the international community" on the issue.

Iran condemned the UN resolution as "an illegal measure taken outside the framework of its duty and against the UN Charter," Foreign Ministry Spokesman Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said in a statement.

Germany has been actively engaged in the mediation of the Iran nuclear row though it is not a permanent member of the UN Security Council. Earlier this year, it hosted a foreign ministers' meeting on Iran in Berlin, which drew top diplomats from the five permanent Security Council members -- the United States, China, Russia, Britain and France.

Source: Xinhua