PanARMENIAN.Net
Moscow not apt to think U.S. eased stand on Iran
05.12.2007 17:22 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ `Moscow not apt to think that the U.S. has eased its
position on Iran by publishing the intelligence report,’ Russian
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said. `The fact is that the information
obtained by the U.S. intelligence was made public.’
`Data that we have seen don’t allow to say with certainty that Iran
has ever had a nuclear weapons program,’ Lavrov said adding that Iran
was committed to cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog and had
confirmed its adherence to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Speaking after President Vladimir Putin’s meeting in Moscow with
Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Saeed Jalili, Lavrov said, "We noted
the willingness of Iran to adhere to cooperation with the
International Atomic Energy Agency, and Iran again confirmed its
adherence to an observation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty."
"Mr Putin reiterated his call for Iran’s leadership to ensure honest
and full cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency in
order to clarify all of the issues interesting the agency," he added.
Western countries led by the U.S. suspect Iran of pursuing a secret
nuclear weapons program but the Islamic Republic insists its nuclear
research is civilian.
President Putin said earlier Tuesday Russia expects Iran’s nuclear
programs to be transparent and fully monitored by the IAEA.
At talks with Jalili, at the presidential residence near Moscow, Putin
welcomed Tehran’s cooperation with the IAEA.
"It’s pleasant to note that contacts between Russia and Iran have
intensified at all levels," Putin said, recalling that the Russian
foreign minister had recently visited Iran.
Earlier in the day Iran had praised a U.S. intelligence report on its
nuclear program saying that Tehran had halted weapons production in
2003.
The U.S. National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), published on Monday,
contradicted a previous intelligence assessment in 2005 which stated
Iran was actively pursuing a nuclear bomb, RIA Novosti reports.