Russia's nuclear cooperation with Iran under close international supervision - Ivanov
IRNA
Madrid, June 4, IRNA -- Russia's Minister of Foreign Affairs Igor
Ivanov said here on Wednesday that his country's nuclear cooperation
with Iran is under the strict supervision of the International Atomic
Energy Agency (IAEA).
Ivanov who was speaking at a press conference following his
meeting with his NATO member states' counterparts in Madrid, in
response to Russia's latest stand regarding the US dissatisfaction
over his country's nuclear cooperation with Iran, said, "Our nuclear
cooperation with Iran, or any other country has always been in full
abidance by the international rules and regulations, and under the
strict supervision of the UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.
Ivanov emphasized, the numerous inspections of the concerned
international organizations, including the IAEA officials of Iran's
Bushehr nuclear plant have always been proof to the peaceful nature
of the activities in the said complex now and in the future.
The Russian foreign minister emphasized, "My country has
suggested our Iranian partners to sign the additional protocol of
the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), in order ward off the pressure
imposed by the United States and certain other countries" --
including the G8 member states.
Ivanov added, "I am certain by signing that protocol, concerns
expressed by at least some countries would be omitted."
He said, "According to an agreement signed between Moscow and
Tehran officials, the used nuclear fuel will be returned to Russia
Russia's Atomic Energy minister Alexander Rumyantsev, too
insisted Wednesday that its nuclear cooperation with Iran was not
conditional on tougher UN inspections, denying reports that Moscow
would withhold delivery of nuclear fuel unless Tehran gave UN monitors
full access.
"There is no link," Rumyantsev said, asked about a Russian press
report that Russia would only supply the fuel if Iran signs an
additional protocol of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that
would allow tougher inspections.
The fuel will be sent to Iran once another document, a bilateral
agreement on the re-importation of used nuclear fuel to Russia, has
been signed, Rumyantsev told a group of foreign journalists.
Speculation has been growing in the past few days about Russia's
position amid tensions between Washington and Moscow that emerged at
the recent summits in Saint Petersburg and Evian, France.
Russia is helping build the first nuclear reactor in Bushehr in
the south of Iran.
Russian President Vladimir Putin had said on Tuesday in Evian that
Moscow wanted to make sure that inspectors from the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) closely monitor Iran's nuclear program.
But Rumyantsev reaffirmed that cooperation with Iran's civilian
nuclear program was perfectly in line with the requirements of the
UN nuclear watchdog, the IAEA.
"There is no other cooperation," he said, referring to US
accusations that Iran is using the nuclear power project as a cover to
develop nuclear weapons.
The nuclear fuel for Bushehr is ready and a storage facility has
been built in Iran, with IAEA safeguards. Russia wants to supply it,
because it will only get paid on delivery, Rumyantsev said.
As a signatory to the NPT, Iran is currently only obliged to show
sites it has declared to the IAEA.
The Bushehr reactor should be operational by the end of 2004 and
the power station connected to the electricity network of Iran in
2005, the minister said, denying any "slowdown" in the project in
response to US pressure.
NA/JB
End
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