RUSSIA PLAYING TO BOTH SIDES OF IRAN NUKE PROJECT

AFPC Russia Reform Monitor ^ | May 30, 2003 | Jonas Bernstein

[bruinbirdman]

RUSSIA PLAYING TO BOTH SIDES IN BUSHEHR PROJECT. In a change of tone, Russia has expressed "concern" over Iran's nuclear program. The Foreign Ministry said in a statement that Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Mamedov had "expressed concern over serious outstanding issues concerning Iran's nuclear program" during a meeting with Iran's ambassador to Russia, Reuters reports. Mamedov, the ministry said, also "stressed the importance of an exhaustive discussion of this problem" at next month's meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors. The United States wants the IAEA to declare Iran in violation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty for its program to build a nuclear reactor near the southwestern port city of Bushehr, which Russia is assisting under an $800 million contract.

Still, Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev insisted that Russia would not abandon the Bushehr project. "Russia does not see any reason now to review its stance and its role regarding construction of the first nuclear reactor," Prime Tass quoted him as saying after meeting with visiting Iranian nuclear officials. "We will continue to fulfill our duties despite the fact that our position on this question is different from Washington's official view."

RED CHINA, RUSSIA URGE NORTH KOREA TO HALT NUCLEAR PROLIFERATION. The presidents of Communist China and Russia have urged North Korea not to develop nuclear weapons, Interfax reports. "The parties stand for ensuring a nuclear-free status for the Korean Peninsula and observing the regime of non-proliferation of mass destruction weapons," Vladimir Putin and Hu Jinato said in a joint statement. At the same time, the two leaders said that any "scenarios of forceful pressure or use of force for solving the existing problems" would be "unacceptable," and that "the security of North Korea must be guaranteed and favourable conditions created for its social and economic development."