Posted on 07/20/2002 2:32:08 PM PDT by knighthawk
TEHRAN -- Russia's First Deputy Foreign Minister Vyacheslav Trubnikov said here on Saturday that his country is ready to receive and accept new proposals to build new nuclear power plants in Iran.
Trubnikov told reporters after talks with Deputy Iranian Foreign Minister Mohsen Aminzadeh that Russia is always ready to continue peaceful cooperation with Iran and other countries.
He stressed that cooperation between Iran and Russia in the construction of Bushehr Atomic Power Plant does not violate international accords and is not against the interests of other countries.
Asked on Moscow's agreement with the U.S. for monitoring Tehran-Moscow nuclear cooperation, the Russian official said any supervision on atomic cooperation between Iran and Russia would be possible within framework of the international regulations.
He said all the world know that Russia's cooperation with Iran is transparent and has nothing to do with military issues. The process of cooperation between Tehran and Moscow is controlled by the International Atomic Energy Agency.
He hailed Iran's 'positive' role in developments in the Caucasus and said Moscow hopes that problem in the Caucasus would be solved through extensive international cooperation.
Trubnikov said the military maneuver in the Caspian Sea by Russia was aimed at strengthening and developing its navigational facilities and maintaining Caspian Sea's security, especially for the North-South corridor project.
He said the Caspian Sea should remain a region of peace and this requires special plans to maintain security in the sea, especially through campaign against the terrorist measures. Asked to comment on the U.S. allegations against Iran, the Russian minister said, "Russia's stance is clear; we do not accept the U.S. president's view on the axis of evil; Iran has had good cooperation in regional developments, especially in realization of peace in Afghanistan and campaign against terrorism."
Describing talks with Aminzadeh as 'positive', Trubnikov said Moscow is happy to see that its stances are so close to those of Iran's regarding Afghanistan.
He expressed hope that the talks would result in positive cooperation between Iran and Russia for restoration of peace and democracy in Afghanistan and getting different ethnic groups in the country to contribute to administration of affairs in their land.
Aminzadeh said for his part that Iran and Afghanistan support the status quo in Afghanistan and are interested in the country's stability, strengthening central government there and contribution of the global community to its reconstruction.
He said that Iranian and Russian officials are to continue their talks tonight.
The Islamic Republic of Iran hopes the Caspian Sea can do without any military presence, said Aminzadeh. "Iran wants the Caspian Sea to be the sea of peace and friendship," he added.
He expressed hope that military presence, if needed, would turn into cooperation among Caspian Sea littoral states and guarantee collective security.
Aminzadeh said Tehran and Moscow share common views on some aspects and are to continue their talks.
Aminzadeh said that Iran and Russia constantly exchange views on regional developments, including the Caucasus, and are to continue with their talks in that respect.
"We are following the peace process in the Caucasus and are interested in an agreement between the two major rival parties, namely Azerbaijan and Armenia, to find a way for peace," he said.
Elsewhere, Aminzadeh said no proposal had been made by Russia for other kind of supervision on cooperation with Iran.
Trubnikov was in India before coming to Iran. He had stressed at the end of his visit to New Delhi that Moscow is for the formation of a trilateral cooperation scheme among Iran, Russia and India, in the case of Afghanistan.
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