Iran Nuke Negotiator Seeks Russia Talks (AP)

[Eugene]

Iran Nuke Negotiator Seeks Russia Talks


Saturday November 11, 2006 2:16 PM

AP Photo MOSB121

By VLADIMIR ISACHENKOV

Associated Press Writer

MOSCOW (AP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iran's top nuclear
negotiator Saturday, Russian news agencies reported, suggesting a strong
Russian diplomatic push to get Iran to shift its position on its nuclear
program.

The Iranian negotiator, Ali Larijani, said Friday after meeting Russian
officials that Tehran would push ahead with its nuclear program, and
suggested it could break off ties with the U.N. nuclear watchdog if the
world inflicts punishments proposed by European nations.

-snip-

After Friday's talks between Larijani and Igor Ivanov, the secretary of
Russia's Security Council, they opened another round of talks Saturday,
the Interfax news agency reported. Ivanov attended Saturday's meeting
at Putin's country residents, as did Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov,
the ITAR-Tass and RIA Novosti news agencies reported.

Moscow is seeking to revive its proposal to move Iran's uranium enrichment
work to Russian soil to assuage international concerns that Iran could use
the process to develop weapons. Larijani said Friday that the proposal
remains on the table, but there was no evidence of movement toward Iranian
acceptance.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.guardian.co.uk/worldlatest/story/0,,-6207990,00.html

[nodular]

1. European draft seems unlikely to pass

Don't know if it is against the rules to quote a new
paragraph, but here goes:

"The European draft resolution would order all countries
to ban the supply of material and technology that could
contribute to Iran's nuclear and missile programs, measures
that could damage Russia's nuclear and arms-industry ties with
Tehran."


This version seems unlikely to pass in the Security Council
(in my view). Russia is pretty committed to building nuclear
reactors in Iran and is getting a huge amount of money to do
so. 


"Regarding Russia's nuclear cooperation with the Iran,
Putin is, perhaps, quite correct when he underscores that 'as
far as energy is concerned, it focuses exclusivel on economic
issues.' Russia expects to reap up to $10 billion from its
Bushehr deal and arms sales to Iran, even if it is currently
building the reactor on credit to be paid by Iran only after
the completion of the product. Sanctions and admonitions will
not change Russia's relationship with one of the most
demonized states in America's 'axis of evil' if no sound
substitute is provided by the United States." 

Iran's Nuclear Option, L. J. Venter, 2005, p. 306 
 

The Russian claim is that the reactors are being built for
peaceful purposes and they have offered to do the processing
of nuclear materials inside Russia to allay fears of the West
that Iran is going to use their nuclear reactors to build
bombs.

Whatever happens, I cannot see the Russians allowing a
resolution such as this to pass.