Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD)

Russian Foreign Minister Dismisses Iran Criticism

May 27, 2010

Russia has rejected Iran's recent criticism of the Kremlin as an "emotional" outburst.

At a briefing in Moscow, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that for years, Iran's response to Russia's years of efforts to resolve a nuclear standoff had been "unsatisfactory."

Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad on May 26 said Russian support for possible new UN sanctions against Tehran over the country's nuclear program was "unacceptable," and that it was difficult to gauge whether the Kremlin was a friend or an enemy.

Meanwhile in Ankara, a Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman, Burak Ozugergin, told reporters that rejecting a nuclear swap deal with Iran would be "unreasonable" and said a U.S. push for fresh sanctions on Tehran was creating an "absurd situation."

Western governments have dismissed the swap deal brokered by Brazil and Turkey earlier this month, saying it fails to address concerns that Tehran is trying to build nuclear weapons.

compiled from agency reports

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/Russian_Foreign_Minister_Dismisses_Iran_Criticism/2054362.html

Copyright (c) 2010. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.