Putin in Iran: Russia to continue nuclear cooperation
Iran-Russia, Politics, 10/16/2007

Russia's President Vladimir Putin said today that delay in completion of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant is not politically motivated and Russia is serious about finishing the job as soon as possible but there are some minor issues which should first be resolved.

Speaking to reporters after the second Caspian Sea littoral states summit held in Iran, he said the experts from the two sides restarted talks on the issue today. "We have signed an agreement with Iran that the nuclear fuel should be returned to Russia which is on top of the agenda in meeting between experts from the two sides," he said.

He rejected that the delay is due to political reasons and said that it has remained incomplete because of technical and legal issues. Calling Iran a big regional and global power, he said that Iran and Russia have friendly ties and are to broaden cooperation and activities.

The current level of trade exchanges between Iran and Russia reached two billion dollars and this is expected to increase.

On expansion of NATO, he said Russia is opposed to expansion of NATO and believes that expansion of such military organizations can not avert the danger posed by international terrorism. "I do not have a good impression for expansion of NATO," he underlined. Existing global issues such as terrorism, narcotic trafficking, wars and conflicts, military interventions as well as other issues could not be resolved by expanding NATO but confidence-building should be practiced instead, he said.

Iran and Russia are to help resolve regional conflicts and help restore peace and tranquility for nations, he pointed out. On presence of foreign troops in Afghanistan, he said Iran and Russia attach importance to developments in that war-stricken country and wish its people live in peace and tranquility and the foreign forces will withdraw their troops from there and let Afghan people administer their own affairs and decide their destiny.

On US unilateralism in global affairs, he said, "We seek a multi-polar world and I personally am against unilateralism." The US is not able to enforce a uni-polar system because no power would be able to resolve all issues single-handed, he said. Current situation in Afghanistan and Iraq are rooted in the idea of unilateralism, he said adding, "We should try to help international organizations, mainly the United Nations, and respect international code of conduct as well as rules and regulations in dealing with global issues."

President Putin is the first Russian president who visits Iran after about 65 years. About 24 hours prior to President Putin's visit to Iran, certain "Zionist sources", as the official Iranian news agency described them, were said to have started a new bid and a psychological warfare to prevent his visit claiming that there was an imminent "assassination plot" against the Russian president during his Tehran visit, with the Iranian News agency noting that even some in the French media claimed that a "political plot" was made in Iran against President Putin. Putin had said prior to the visit "Of course, I will go to Iran. If I were to heed all the reports about threats and recommendations of security officials, I might as well stay home."

Putin conferred today with President Mahmoud Ahmadi-Nejad on bilateral, regional as well as international developments.

"Iran and Russia are determined to broaden all-out ties and we strongly pursue the materialization of such goal." Trade exchange between the two countries is on rise, he said.

Iran and Russia are now cooperating in various infrastructure projects as well as in the aviation industry and energy sectors, he said.
Putin described the second Caspian Sea littoral states summit as "positive and impressive." President Ahmadi-Nejad is to host a special banquet for the Russian president tonight.

Putin meantime underlined that Russia is to continue nuclear cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran. Iran and Russia are now cooperating on wide range of issues such as aviation industry and Russia is to continue its contribution to Iran's peaceful nuclear program, Putin said.

Putin stressed today that Russia would not allow other countries to use its soil for attacking the Caspian Sea littoral states. Also, The Washington Post reported today that Iran's other neighbors in the summit, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, where some of these countries have US bases, also declared that they will not allow the the US to use their lands for military acts against Iran.

Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said yesterday that the US efforts to isolate Iran have so far got nowhere.
He said that the US wrong policies have caused Iran to play a more effective role.

Previous Stories:
  Russian president due in Tehran in mid October: Mottaki   (9/14/2007)
  Russia serious about completion of Iran nuclear power plant   (9/5/2007)
  Iran critical of Russian handling of Bushehr power plant   (5/15/2007)

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