Director of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom) Sergey Kirienko
Photo: Valery Melnikov
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Russia Presses Iran on IAEA Demands
Russia gave Iran a strongly-worded warning yesterday: If Tehran does not meet IAEA demands, Moscow will withdraw its support. A “well-informed source” connected with atomic energy complained that “the Iranians are misusing their constructive relation with Russia and are doing nothing to help us convince our colleagues of the coherence of Tehran's actions.” His opinion was reported by all leading Russian information agencies simultaneously and, in keeping with recent practice, can be assumed to come directly from the Kremlin.
“For us, Iran with a nuclear bomb or the potential to make one is unacceptable. We will not play anti-American games along with them,” the source continued. His words were followed by announcements from the Russian Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom) and Atomstroiexport, which are negotiating with the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization in Tehran. They have officially announced that the Bushehr atomic energy plant, the flagship of the Iranian nuclear program, will not be launched in September and fuel for it will not be delivered this month, as Iran had wanted. Atomstroiexport representatives named non-payment by Iran as the cause of the delay.
This comes as the UN Security Council prepares to discuss international sanctions against Iran. February 21 was the end of the two-month deadline set by Security Council Resolution No. 1737 for Iran to roll back its uranium enrichment program. IAEA general director Mohamed ElBaradei delivered a report to the Council saying that Iran does not intend to curtail the program and that it is close to beginning enrichment on an industrial scale. The conclusion of ElBaradei's report were confirmed by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.
A week later, representatives of the five permanent members of the Security Council and Germany met to discuss sanctions against Iran. Diplomatic sources say that the sanctions involve stopping the crediting of trade with Iran, worth $2o billion, an embargo on arms shipments to the country and international travel restrictions on Iranians connected with the atomic industry. Moscow had been doing all in its power to oppose those steps, calling them “non-optimal.”
www.kommersant.com
All the Article in Russian as of Mar. 13, 2007
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