Posted on 10/07/2004 4:10:14 AM PDT by foolscap
MOSCOW (AP) - Russia will continue its nuclear energy cooperation with Iran, a senior Russian official said Thursday, despite international concern that Tehran might be trying to develop atomic weapons. "We have been cooperating and will continue to cooperate with Iran in the peaceful usage of nuclear energy," Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Alexeyev said, according to the Interfax news agency. "It does not matter if there is pressure or not, but it does matter that we will comply with all legal commitments in cooperation with Iran."
Russia is completing a $800 million deal to build a nuclear reactor at Bushehr in southern Iran, a project that has drawn concern from the United States.
The International Atomic Energy Agency, which is the United Nations' nuclear watchdog agency, is investigating nearly two decades of covert nuclear activity by Iran. Tehran maintains its program is meant to generate electricity, but Washington claims it is a weapons program.
Russia has repeatedly emphasized that Iran has the right to develop a peaceful nuclear energy program, but Moscow has urged Iran to voluntarily halt all efforts to enrich uranium as a sign of goodwill and to show greater openness to IAEA inspectors. The IAEA has also called on Iran to halt uranium enrichment - a technology that could be used to make weapons.
Well when the Mulah's turn Moscow in to a city with a tempeture of 10,000 degrees F, it will be just rewards.
The status quo will not prevail for long at the pace that Iran is doing development.
They better get the money up front.
IAF will be visiting soon.
These guys are so mercenary they're probably selling targeting infomation to the Israelis at the same time.
Beslan didn't wake them up? Perhaps a sharper lesson is required.
Then they are indeed our enemy. I had hoped that the Beslan School episode would open Putin's eyes, but I was dreaming. Can anyone tell me why an energy rich country like Iran needs nuclear power other than for a bomb?
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