Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

DATE=2/28/2005

TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT

TITLE=RUSSIA EU-IRAN (L-ONLY)

NUMBER=2-322895

BYLINE= DOUGLAS BAKSHIAN

DATELINE=LUXEMBOURG

HEADLINE: European Union Says Iran Must Honor U.N. Nuclear Accords

INTRO: The European Union says Iran must honor its commitments under the United Nations nuclear accords. Douglas Bakshian reporting for VOA in Luxembourg says the E.U. is also downplaying a nuclear deal just signed by Russia and Iran.

TEXT: Russia and Iran signed a nuclear fuel agreement Sunday that is part of a plan to bring Iran's first nuclear reactor on line by mid-2006. Russian Foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, who held talks with E.U. officials in Luxembourg, defended the deal as being in line with international statutes.

/// LAVROV ACT 1///

"It's entirely within the resolution of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) - our cooperation with Iran on nuclear

energy is under IAEA monitoring and there is nothing (needed) to convince to convince people in (of) its peaceful purposes."

///END ACT ///

Luxembourg foreign minister, Jean Asselborn, whose country holds the rotating E.U. presidency, also played down the any negative impact the nuclear agreement may present.

/// ASSELBORN ACT ///

"We reiterated our position that the IAEA safeguards and the NPT protocols have to be respected. That's all, so that's clear.

There is no negative influence. And I think the interest of Russia, and of the European Union, and of America are the same - on the same level."

/// END ACT ///

E.U. members France, Britain and Germany have been holding talks with Iran to persuade it to drop its uranium enrichment program, which could be used for weapons.

The United States accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian nuclear energy program, though Tehran denies this. Washington has said it wants to give diplomacy a chance to work, but has also not ruled out other options.

Russian foreign minister Lavrov called on the United States to play, what he called, its positive role. However, he refused to explain what further actions he wants to see.

/// LAVROV ACT 2 ///

"We have repeatedly welcomed statements from Washington, including President Bush's statement, that the United States would like to see the Iranian problem solved peacefully and diplomatically."

/// END ACT ///

Meanwhile, key American lawmakers have said Washington has to take a harder line with Russia, in light of the nuclear fuel agreement with Tehran. Iran's nuclear program has been the focus of heavy attention on both sides of the Atlantic.

NEB/MEM/KBK