• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Russia, Iran Disagree On Enrichment Halt

1 March 2006 -- Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov reiterated today Russia's call for Iran to return to a moratorium on enriching uranium as a condition for taking part in a joint enrichment facility on Russian territory.

Lavrov was speaking to reporters in the Hungarian capital, Budapest, where President Vladimir Putin is on a state visit.

In Moscow, Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, said there was no need for Tehran to resume a moratorium on uranium-enrichment activity, insisting that all its nuclear activities were "transparent."

He added that Iran agrees to international inspections if they are conducted in line with international law.

"We agree with [International Atomic Energy Agency] inspections and international regulations," Larijani said. "In this regard, therefore, they should not make threats against a country that believes in these regulations. Threats and violent behavior were used in the past and they did not work."

Larijani is in Moscow for talks on a Russian proposal to form a joint venture to enrich Iran's uranium in Russia. The proposal is intended to allay international concerns over Iran's nuclear program.

(AP, Reuters)

Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org