KHATAMI’S VISIT TO MOSCOW WAS A NEAR FLOP
MOSCOW-PARIS 22 Mar. (IPS) As Iran continued to highlight its co-operation with neighbouring Russia, describing it as "necessary" for the stability of the region, informed sources in both Tehran and Moscow downplayed the importance of the visit paid to Russia by the Iranian President Mohammed Khatami.
Speaking to reporters in Beirut, Iran's unsmiling Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi described Tuesday Iran and Russia as two powerful countries of the region that their co-operation, though "necessary" for regional "stability and security", was not directed at any third country".
But sources said though the visit was supposed to propel ties to a higher level but achieved little because of poor preparatory work.
Khatami's trip to Russia, the first by an Iranian head of state in nearly 30 years, upset the United States which sees Tehran as a "rogue state" and is alarmed by Moscow's pledges to develop military and civil nuclear cooperation with it.
Mr. Rajab Safarov, head of the independent Centre for Co-ordination of Russian-Iranian Co-operation explained that Khatami's visit was more symbolic in value and produced few of the long-awaited practical deals and agreements.
Safarov, whose centre compiles and sells research on Iran to official bodies, told a news conference that of four anticipated major agreements only two were signed and even those merely fixed the existing state of relations.
Iranian political analysts and experts, from both inside and outside the nation also noted that though the Russians were always masters in the art of welcoming Iranian guests, but had always little to offer since the two countries always harboured suspicions on each other.
The two sides were to sign four documents, namely one setting out the path of future relations, a special agreement on military co-operation, a document on scientific and technological co-operation and one setting out the two countries' positions on the Caspian".
But according to Mr. Safarov, the agreement on military co-operation fell through because working groups relied too much on Russian Defence Minister Igor Sergeyev's statement last year that the deal was all but ready. Both sides still had work to complete and signature of the document was postponed.
Signature on the scientific and technological co-operation was also put off on similar grounds, as Russian ministries had missed deadlines, Safarov said.
On the legal status of the Caspian Sea that the Iranian side boasted saying Russia had sided with Tehran, experts said any Russian-Iranian agreement was unlikely to yield real result in the absence of Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
In fact, Kazakhstan is believed to have strongly objected to Moscow over the accord with Tehran, warning the Russians it might cancel agreements already signed between the two countries dividing the Lake’s waters and resources on their mutual shores.
"On this particular affair, Moscow plays a dual role, for, in the one hand, it complies with Iranians ego and on the other, it signs bilateral agreements with Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan", one Iranian US-based noted.
Mr. Safarov blamed the shortcomings to the Iranians, explaining that Tehran's request to push the visit, planned for May, forward by two months to give Khatami more time to concentrate on the June 8 presidential election put experts on a very tight schedule and made it more difficult to meet deadlines.
Mr. Kharrazi, who had accompanied Mr. Khatami on his Russian visit, said the Russians have made the commitment to support Iran's nuclear power program, as Russian official disclosed that Iran would sign up for a second Russian-built nuclear reactor once the one which is under construction in the Iranian port of Bushehr, is completed.
But he remained silent on the fact while the Iranian government is angry at the long delays the project is suffering, experts are worried with Rrrussian-made nuclear technologies.
Scheduled to be completed two years ago, the project has suffered long delays and is not expected to enter full operation before 2005.
Moscow says delays were due to Iranians inability to meet their payments on time for ordering different parts, some of them being built in Ukraine, others in Byelorussia, two former parts of the defunct Soviet Union.
Khatami visited in Saint Petersburg the Russian plant that is building a nuclear reactor for Iran's Bushehr power station.
The reactors, as well as Iran-Russia military agreements are at the heart of Washington’s wrath with Moscow.
The United States is urging Russia to not provide Iran with advanced conventional weapons or sensitive military technologies when it resumes its controversial arms sales.
The State Department said if the two categories of weapons ended up in the hands of Iran, it would be a matter of "great concern" for the United States.
But both Moscow and Tehran assure that the arms sales are within international law and experts of the Vienna-based International Atomic energy Agency are regularly visiting the nuclear power plant in Bushehr.
The new George. W. Bush Republican Administration reconfirmed last week sanctions against Iran, a measure that was denounced by Iran, repeating that the measure would harm more the US economy than Iran’s. ENDS IRAN RUSSIA 22301