Russia: Iran nuclear issue “difficult and complicated”
Washington, 22 August (IranVNC)—The situation surrounding Iran’s nuclear program is “difficult and complicated”, but Iran is still not cooperating as it should with the international community, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published today in al-Hayat daily.
By: IranVNC
Published: Friday, August 22, 2008
20:55GMT—4:55PM/EST
RUSSIA – IRAN – NUCLEAR
Washington, 22 August (IranVNC)—The situation surrounding Iran’s nuclear program is “difficult and complicated”, but Iran is still not cooperating as it should with the international community, Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said in an interview published today in al-Hayat daily.
“Regardless of the progress made regarding the closure of some of the existing files and the progress in the cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency, the general situation of Iran’s nuclear program is still difficult and complicated,” Iran’s semi-official ISNA news agency today quoted Lavrov as telling the Arabic-language al-Hayat newspaper.
Lavrov continued: “Tehran does not respond as it should to the demands of the United Nations Security Council and has not stopped [uranium] enrichment and is continuing the construction of heavy-water reactors.”
IranVNC was not able to independently verify Lavrov’s remarks.
Russia, along with the U.S., Britain, France, China and Germany, last month held talks with Iran in Geneva, where they offered Tehran a set of incentives in return for the suspension of uranium enrichment.
When Tehran failed to provide a positive response to the sextet’s offer, the U.S. and Britain announced earlier this month that the major powers would begin considering a fourth round of UN sanctions.
Since 2006, the UN Security Council has passed three resolutions imposing sanctions against Iran.
But Moscow, which has major commercial interests in Iran, has played down talks of more sanctions against the Islamic Republic.
The West suspects Iran’s nuclear program is aimed at building a nuclear weapon, but Iran says that its nuclear program is aimed solely at generating electricity for a growing population.
Sources: ISNA in Persian
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