Moscow
26 December 2005
As the European Union's nuclear negotiations
with Iran remain delicately poised, a top Russian official has cautioned
the United States against precipitating an avoidable crisis and urged
Washington to refrain from making provocative statements.
"If the US [continues its] provocation against Iran, there is no prediction
which way [Iran] will go," a top Russian official told this newspaper. On
Russia's position, he said, "We have told Iran not to go beyond the limits
of energy purposes and the supply of nuclear fuel".
The remarks flow from concerns about the likelihood of a situation
developing in Russia's proximity that was "not in favour of Moscow".
There is also a perception that if Iran goes nuclear, it will pose a "real
threat" to Russia more than the US.
Concerns have also been expressed by certain quarters about a
breakdown in the talks and a showdown early next year when the board of
governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) holds a
regular meeting in Vienna.
The EU and the US are backing the Russian proposal that would allow
Iran to enrich uranium on Russian territory. Doing so would prevent
Tehran from diverting enriched uranium towards its nuclear weapons
programme.
Tehran on Sunday rejected Moscow's offer to process uranium for Iran on
Russian soil. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia had on Saturday
said that its proposal to facilitate "on Russian soil a joint Russo-Iranian
undertaking to enrich uranium still stands".
Iran, which resumed discussions with the EU negotiators -- Britain, France
and Germany -- last week, insisted on its right to produce enriched
uranium while maintaining that it was keen only on meeting its energy
requirements. The next round of talks are expected on January 18.
Russia and China abstained from voting in the September 24 meeting of
the IAEA. Their decision blocked the moves to refer Iran to the United
Nations Security Council. Both Russia and China also have veto powers
as permanent members of the Security Council.
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