RUSSIA AND IRAN REITERATED ON THEIR ATOMIC COOPERATION
MOSCOW 30 June (IPS) Iran and Russia reiterated on Monday their close cooperation on developing Iran’s nuclear programmes, stating on the "peaceful and civilian nature" of the projects.
"Russia attaches great importance to cooperation with Iran in peaceful use of nuclear energy", Vladimir Rushailo, Secretary General of Russian National Security Council stated after meeting with Qolamreza Aqazadeh Iranian Vice President and Head of Iran Atomic Energy Organisation (IAEO).
Russia is helping Iran to built a nuclear 1000 Megawatts, 800
million dollars power station in the Iranian port of Booshehr, on the Persian
Gulf, but the United States and Israel are worried that Iran might use the plant
for developing a nuclear arsenal.
"Iran is a member of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and signatory to the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and is entitled to have access to international community for advanced nuclear technology", Rushailo underlined, according to Iranian official news agency IRNA.
Ahead of the talks, Deputy Foreign Minister Yuri Fedotov told "ITAR-Tass" news agency that the recent agreement by Iran to accept inspections by the Vienna-based IAEA "will promote intensification of cooperation between Iran and the IAEA and therefore, additional prerequisites for our cooperation will be created".
But observers noted that despite pressures and "encouragements" from IAEA, Tehran has so far refused to accept signing additional protocols to the NPT, allowing experts from the atomic watchdog to survey Iranian nuclear sites without prior notice and unconditionally.
On its 16 June meeting in Vienna, IAEA’s Board of Directors offered Tehran to comply with the additional protocols until September.
"When Iran is going to take positive steps, it is our right to expect positive steps from others", Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Kamal Kharazi said during a joint press conference with British foreign Secretary Jack Straw in Tehran.
But striking a more conciliatory tone, Hojjatoleslam Hassan Rohani, the influential Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, informed Mr. Straw that Iran would invite the IAEA’ Chief Mohammad ElBaradei for "talks to remove technical problems", the official Iranian news agency IRNA reported on Monday.
"Iran is keen on closer cooperation with IAEA which is monitoring Iran's nuclear safeguards", Aqazadeh said, adding however that IAEA should strive to assist Iran in this respect.
He said his country's cooperation with Russia on atomic energy was in compliance with international law and stressed that Iran's peaceful use of nuclear technology is "fully transparent".
"We are in favour of broad-based cooperation with Iran in all areas including the peaceful use of nuclear technology", he said.
Meeting Aqazadeh earlier on the day, Russian Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev had stressed that nuclear cooperation between Iran and Russia was of "strategic significance".
At the meeting, Aqazadeh, referred to the prospect of future joint cooperation between the two states in various fields including atomic energy and hoped that positive results will be achieved by both sides.
Also, Russian Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov in a meeting with Aqazadeh stressed the importance of Tehran-Moscow mutual cooperation. "Russia regards Iran as an important partner and was interested in expanding relations to other areas", Russian independent "Interfax" news agency reported.
"As Russian President Valdimir Putin has previously said in a Group of 8 (G8) meeting in France, Iran is our neighbour and Moscow is willing to expand relations with Tehran", he reiterated.
"Nuclear ties between Russia and Iran have bright horizons", Aghazadeh repeated at the meeting with Ivanov, according to Interfax.
At the Monday meeting, Russian proposal for submission of reports on the Booshehr Plant and the return of spent fuel by Iranian experts and expansion of long-term bilateral ties were approved.
Aqazadeh congratulated the Russian Deputy Atomic Energy Minister Andrei Malishev on his appointment as president of the Russian committee in charge of controlling Iran's atomic programs and said, "His responsibility in Booshehr Nuclear Power Plant will be heavier than ours."
Arrived in Moscow Monday morning, heading a high-ranking Iranian delegation, Aqazadeh was warmly welcomed by top Russian officials, a rebuke to Washington that has declared the Islamic Republic a pariah regime. ENDS IRAN RUSSIA NUKE 30603