| Topic: |
Politics > Politics-USA |
| User: |
"" |
| Date: |
27 Apr 2006 11:35:41 AM |
| Object: |
Well, they were right about Iraq, but were ignored... |
TOMSK, April 27 (RIA Novosti) - President Vladimir Putin and German
Chancellor Angela Merkel said Thursday they favored a coordinated
diplomatic approach to solving the long-running crisis around Iran's
controversial nuclear problem.
"A diplomatic path includes various options for reaction. It is
currently too early to ... say which solution we will jointly take. The
most important thing is that any decision should be agreed [between all
sides]," Putin said in the West Siberian oil city of Tomsk, where he is
holding talks with Merkel.
He said all interested parties should be involved in comprehensive
negotiations to ensure Iran's nuclear program is for civilian purposes
only, and to alleviate the fears of the international community about
nuclear proliferation.
"We are interested in the international community working jointly and
showing Iran that we back diplomatic ways [to solve the problem], and
Iran should fulfill its commitments," Merkel said, adding that a new
report on Iran's nuclear program should reflect the coordinated efforts
of the international community.
Mohamed ElBaradei, director general of the International Atomic Energy
Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, will report April 28 to the
UN Security Council, which has the authority to impose economic
sanctions if Iran is found to be in breach of its international
commitments.
Ali Larijani, the secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security
Council, said Tuesday his country would sever its relations with the
IAEA and stop acting in a transparent manner over its nuclear programs
if the UN Security Council imposed sanctions against it.
Russia, which is helping Iran build an $800-million nuclear power plant
in Bushehr, has opposed the economic sanctions being pushed by the
United States and its European allies. The Foreign Ministry said last
week "sanctions could only be discussed when evidence is provided that
Iran is pursuing not only peaceful work in the nuclear field."
Nuclear agency head Sergei Kiriyenko earlier said the Russian proposal
to enrich uranium in Russia would remain on the table only if Iran met
the IAEA's demands.
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