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Disarmament DocumentationBack to Disarmament Documentation Russia's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Mikhail Kamynin on Iran, August 9, 2005'Mikhail Kamynin, the Spokesman of Russia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Answers Media Questions Regarding the Situation Around the Iranian Nuclear Program', August 9, 2005. Question: The situation around the Iranian nuclear program has become exacerbated recently. Teheran has taken steps to restart activities earlier frozen at the uranium conversion facility in Isfahan. In this connection an extraordinary session of the IAEA Board of Governors is being convened in Vienna today. What are Russia's assessments of such developments? Answer: The principled line of Russia on this issue is to assist the comprehensive strengthening of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the maintenance of the authority of the IAEA as the body for NPT monitoring. We proceed from NPT member states' unalienable right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes under IAEA control. Russia-Iran cooperation in building the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant rests on just these principles. An integral part of our approach is also the course towards solving the problems that sometimes arise in the context of the NPT implementation by politico-diplomatic means with the employment of the organizational and technical potential of the IAEA. This applies fully to cooperation with Iran as well. Over the last two years Russian diplomacy in close cooperation with the other concerned parties, primarily Iran itself, the Agency and the European Troika, has been taking vigorous steps to resolve the situation around the undeclared nuclear activities in Iran detected by Agency inspectors. This work has already produced definite results. Of substantial importance, from the viewpoint of the creation of optimal conditions for completing the work on the removal of the still-outstanding issues, was the decision by Teheran on a voluntary suspension of all of its activities related to uranium enrichment and processing as well as uranium conversion in Isfahan. This was a confidence building measure taken in response to the requests made of it by the IAEA Board of Governors. The investigation is not yet over. That was why Mohamed ElBaradei, IAEA Director General, a few days ago called upon Teheran to refrain from unilateral moves in the conditions when the Agency has been making steady progress in dealing with the remaining issues. Unfortunately, in spite of this appeal and the recommendations of other countries, including ours, the Iranian side on August 8 began feeding uranium ore concentrate into the first part of the technological line of the uranium conversion facility. We think that Iran could well have continued the moratorium without any harm to its nuclear energy program. The sole power unit of the NPP being built in Bushehr is fully provided with fuel from Russia. There are all the necessary agreements to this effect. Question: How do you assess the prospects for further developments? Answer: We are convinced that the situation that has now arisen is not irreversible. Given the good will, it can be rectified. It would be a wise decision to immediately stop the work begun on uranium conversion and continue Iran's close cooperation with the IAEA in removing the questions that still remain about the Iranian nuclear program. Russia is ready to cooperate with other states in de-escalating the situation. In so doing it is important that all the concerned nations should refrain from hasty, ill-considered steps capable of pushing developments towards a substantial aggravation. Source: Russia Ministry of Foreign Affairs, http://www.russianembassy.org. © 2005 The Acronym Institute. |