DAR AL HARB / ISLAM - RUSSIA / IRAN: RUSSIA CALLS ON IRAN TO FREEZE URANIUM ENRICHMENT

Russia urges Iran to fulfill U.N. demands to freeze uranium enrichment

MOSCOW: Russia has urged Iran to fulfill the United Nations demand to freeze its uranium enrichment program and to cooperate with a U.N. nuclear watchdog, officials said Tuesday.

Russian officials made the call during the two-day of talks in Moscow with Ali Hosseinitash, a deputy secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Russia's Foreign Ministry said in a statement which appeared to signal Moscow's growing irritation with its close partner.

During the talks with Hosseinitash, Moscow emphasized the need for Tehran to "fulfill the demands of corresponding resolutions of the U.N. Security Council and the International Atomic Energy Agency Board." Russian officials also urged Tehran to "take the necessary constructive steps that would allow an immediate start to the negotiation process," the statement said.

Iran insists its enrichment program is peaceful and aimed solely at producing nuclear energy, but the United States and its allies believes it serves as a cover for seeking to build atomic weapons. In December, the U.N. Security Council voted unanimously to impose limited sanctions against Iran for its refusal to freeze uranium enrichment.

Senior representatives of the five permanent Security Council members — Russia, China, the United States, Britain and France, along with Germany — have been discussing possible new sanctions against Iran to force it to suspend enrichment efforts.

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and Iran has this to say:

Iran Nuclear Official: Russians "unreliable" In Joint Project

Iran's top nuclear official on Tuesday complained of Russia's "unreliability" in timely completing a joint nuclear project in southern Iran, ISNA news agency reported.

"The delay is indeed regrettable and the Russians should stay reliable towards fulfilment of their commitments," Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani said.

The Russian contractor Atomstroiexport announced that there would be a renewed delay in the completion of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the Persian Gulf due to a financial dispute with Tehran.

Atomstroiexport claims that some bills relating to the joint construction project have not yet been paid by Iran, while Tehran insists that all relevant payments have been effected and accuses the Russian contractor of mismanagement.

The joint project was originally supposed to be completed at the beginning of the millennium but has been delayed several times for various reasons. The most recent agreement between the two sides signed last September in Moscow envisioned supply of nuclear fuel in March 2007, physical launch of the plant in September and energy launch in November of the same year.

Larijani refrained from entertaining speculations that the delay was due to political as well as financial disputes.

"Currently their claim is money but I cannot verify this claim," he said.

Tehran has warned Russia not to link the project with the international dispute over Iran's nuclear programme and in doing so "politicize" the Bushehr plant.

Several political circles in Tehran believe that, in line with US policies, Russia is using the Bushehr plant to push Iran into accepting international demands to suspend its uranium enrichment programme.

Larijani however indicated that future projects with Russia would depend on how Moscow fulfilled its commitment in the Bushehr plant.

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Pertinent Links:

1) Russia urges Iran to fulfill U.N. demands to freeze uranium enrichment


2) Iran Nuclear Official: Russians "unreliable" In Joint Project