DATE=5/13/98
TYPE=BACKGROUND REPORT
NUMBER=5-40369
TITLE=RUSSIA / IRAN NUCLEAR
BYLINE=PETER HEINLEIN
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: AN IRANIAN DELEGATION IS VISITING RUSSIA FOR TALKS ON
INCREASING NUCLEAR COOPERATION. V-O-A'S PETER HEINLEIN IN MOSCOW
REPORTS THE VISIT HAS SPARKED WESTERN CONCERNS ABOUT POSSIBLE
RUSSIAN ASSISTANCE TO IRAN'S NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM.
TEXT: THE HEAD OF IRAN'S ATOMIC ENERGY ORGANIZATION ARRIVED IN
MOSCOW THIS WEEK FOR A TOUR OF RUSSIAN NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS. A
STATEMENT ISSUED BY THE RUSSIAN ATOMIC ENERGY MINISTRY, MINATOM,
SAID THE VISITING OFFICIAL WOULD BE DISCUSSING WAYS TO SPEED WORK
ON AN IRANIAN NUCLEAR POWER PLANT BEING BUILT WITH RUSSIAN HELP.
BUT PUBLISHED REPORTS INDICATED THE IRANIAN OFFICIAL ALSO IS
ASKING FOR A DEMONSTRATION OF GAS CENTRIFUGE TECHNOLOGY. THIS IS
THE KNOW-HOW NEEDED TO MAKE A BOMB.
THE VISIT COMES DAYS BEFORE A MEETING THIS WEEK IN BRITAIN, WHERE
PRESIDENT CLINTON IS EXPECTED TO ASK RUSSIAN PRESIDENT BORIS
YELTSIN ABOUT INDICATIONS MOSCOW MIGHT BE CONSIDERING THE SALE OF
WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY TO IRAN. SUCH A SALE WOULD VIOLATE A
COMMITMENT MR. YELTSIN MADE AT A PREVIOUS SUMMIT TO HELP IN THE
INTERNATIONAL EFFORT TO PREVENT THE IRANIAN GOVERNMENT FROM
BECOMING A NUCLEAR POWER.
EXPERTS ON NUCLEAR ISSUES SAY THEY WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED TO
LEARN IRAN IS ASKING FOR WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY. BUT ANALYST
ALEXANDER PIKAYEV OF THE MOSCOW CARNEGIE CENTER SAYS RUSSIA
APPEARS TO BE HOLDING FIRM TO PRESIDENT YELTSIN'S PLEDGE.
/// PIKAYEV ACT ///
I DOUBT MINATOM IS READY TO SELL GAS CENTRIFUGAL PLANTS
TO IRAN. (THE) IRANIAN SIDE CAN ASK FOR DEMONSTRATING
EVERYTHING, BUT IT IS A RUSSIAN OBLIGATION UNDER N-P-T
(NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY) NOT TO MAKE DEMONSTRATIONS
OR OTHER STEPS WHICH WOULD CONTRADICT INTERNATIONAL NON
PROLIFERATION REGIMES.
/// END ACT ///
BUT MR. PIKAYEV SAYS THE TIMING OF THE IRANIAN OFFICIAL'S VISIT,
JUST DAYS BEFORE THE SUMMIT, MAY BE MORE THAN JUST A COINCIDENCE.
HE SAYS IT COULD BE A USEFUL TOOL IN FRAMING THE CLINTON-YELTSIN
NUCLEAR DEBATE.
/// 2ND PIKAYEV ACT ///
THE UNITED STATES HAS A LEGITIMATE RIGHT TO PUT THEIR
CONCERNS ON THE TABLE TO THE RUSSIAN SIDE, SO THE
IRANIAN DEAL IS NOT A PROBLEM OF THE INTERNATIONAL
NON- PROLIFERATION REGIME, BUT RATHER A PROBLEM OF A
BILATERAL U-S / RUSSIAN RELATIONSHIP AND THE WILLINGNESS
OF THE RUSSIAN SIDE TO COMPROMISE ON THE DEAL DEPENDS ON
THE STATE OF THE RELATIONS.
/// END ACT ///
WESTERN AND RUSSIAN OBSERVERS SAY TIES BETWEEN TEHERAN AND MOSCOW
ARE LIKELY TO REMAIN STRONG FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. FOR RUSSIA,
HOLDING OUT THE PROSPECT OF NUCLEAR WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY IS A
POWERFUL TOOL IN THAT RELATIONSHIP.
AS ONE WESTERN DIPLOMAT EXPLAINED, "IRAN CLEARLY WANTS THAT
TECHNOLOGY SO THEY CAN DO WHAT INDIA DID." (SIGNED)
NEB/PFH/JWH/JO
13-May-98 12:39 PM EDT (1639 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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