Posted on 05/12/2006 2:57:19 AM PDT by familyop
Moscow - Senior Russian and Iranian officials met in Moscow Thursday to discuss completion of the nuclear power plant at Bushehr and a proposal to enrich uranium in Russia for use in Tehran's civil nuclear power industry.
Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Russia's nuclear power agency Rosatom, hosted the meeting with Iranian ambassador Gholamreza Ansari and Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
Saeedi said before leaving Tehran that he wanted to discuss 'fuel deliveries to the Bushehr nuclear power plant and a final date for its physical launch.'
The first reactor of the station is almost 90-per-cent ready, according to the Russian Atomstroieksport company that is carrying out the work. Construction was due to be finished by the end of this year.
Kiriyenko said deliveries of Russian fuel to the plant would take place six months before the unit is powered up.
The United States is highly critical of Russia's cooperation with Iran and says the technology is being used in a secret weapons programme.
Russia says the work, including measures for the return of spent fuel, complies fully with international law.
The sides were also expected to discuss Moscow's proposal for the long-term enrichment of fuel in Russia for Iran as a solution to the crisis around Tehran's nuclear programme.
Earlier talks brought no breakthrough when Iran said it would continue developing a full fuel cycle at home.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Russian Security Council, Igor Ivanov, warned that any military action against Iran 'will lead to consequences that may seriously blow up the situation in the region and outside it.'
The crisis could only be effectively resolved through reaching a consensus in the United Nations Security Council, he told journalists in Moscow.
just makin the nukes that americans wont?
Pingaroo!!!
A dangerous game Mr. Putin is playing. Can't accept the fact that his third world country is never going to overtake and bury the west.
Trying to use whatever he can to detour the U.S.
And still the west treats russia like a friend? Russia is not our friend.
"A dangerous game Mr. Putin is playing."
I agree
"Can't accept the fact that his third world country is never going to overtake and bury the west."
I don't really think this is true. I think Putin sees Russia's limitations---but is determined to play the game against the West anyway. Essentially, Putin is behind today's terrorism and "asymmetric warfare"---though for awhile he was hiding the connections. Asymmetric warfare is the type of warfare weaker powers way to against a stronger one. I feel the Russians are getting pretty good at it.
However, there is significant risk involved for them.
"Trying to use whatever he can to detour the U.S."
I agree completely.
"And still the west treats russia like a friend? Russia is not our friend."
This becomes more evident every day---even to people who were fooled in the first place. However, the fact that Russia is no longer hiding their opposition to us is a sign that they have successfully transition through their period of weakness after the breakup of the Soviet Union and are ready to confront the US again---albeit in a very different form that during the Cold War.
Russia played the same game when it was still the Soviet Union.
But now have used their oil money as well as contacts with the likes of Iran and Syria to help blunt any progress we may see.
Hard to believe but ridding itself of the internal problems that the Stan countries and Eastern Europe countries and Cuba would be may have ultimately made Russia a stronger counrty.
Don't have to share its oil wealth.
"Hard to believe but ridding itself of the internal problems that the Stan countries and Eastern Europe countries and Cuba would be may have ultimately made Russia a stronger counrty."
It is quite interesting. I think Russia's government is analogous to a con man. They played the "great empire" scam until it ran out. Now they are beginning a new, fresh scam.
I don't claim to understand this side of it yet, but it seems like the role of Europe is really central in what Russia is doing now. Europe, with the exception of a few countries such as Poland and the Baltic states, seems quite enamored of Russia at this point.
The fact that the head of Germany left that job and went directly to work for Gazprom doesn't concern anyone in the least (in Europe or the United States, or so it seems). Personally, I believe everyone has underestimated the importance of the Stassi organization that the Russians built up in East Germany---people that the West German government left virtually untouched after unification. Remember, one out of three East Germans was serving as an informer for the government---at least part-time. This may well have been an all-time World's Record. Personally, I believe Merkle is under Russian influence---though that is just a guess and I cannot prove it. She emerged sort of from "nowhere", she is an East German, and she blew the election campaign to an almost unbelievable extent. Now, despite sending out vibrations that she is not getting along with the Russians, she is sitting in Russia and has just made a deal to have a gas pipeline go directly from Russia to Germany---something the Poles see as a stab in the back that potentially leaves them isolated in terms of energy. (The Poles wanted a gas pipeline to run through Poland.) Poland of course, is the most independent, anti-Russian, pro-American voice in Europe---a major Russian target.
We need $20 oil and quick - sink more wells in Iraq and flood the market NOW.
That's how Reagan crushed their nuts.
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