| Accusations against Iran's Nuclear Program "Irresponsible:" Russian Diplomat |
[Feb. 5th, 2010|11:10 am] |
"Russia has no proof of Tehran's alleged intention to create nuclear weapons, says a Russian diplomat.
""We have no reason to believe that Iran plans to move in this direction (developing nuclear weapons),"" Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told Russia Today on Tuesday, adding that ""without serious proof (of this), it is irresponsible to pose such accusations.""
Ryabkov said Russia remains convinced that the only realistic way of solving the Iran nuclear problem is ""through the political and diplomatic settlement of widely known problems which have gone unsolved for a really long time.""
The diplomat said Russia has serious doubts that sanctions would be effective and said it was ""a well-known fact"" that ""Tehran is a difficult partner for the six countries.""
The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China), together with Germany, are currently in negotiations with Tehran on its nuclear program.
Iran is at the center of an international dispute concerning its nuclear ambitions. Western powers suspect Iran is attempting to build nuclear weapons, but Tehran says its nuclear program is aimed at generating energy for civilian purposes.
Also on Tuesday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said ""until today"" the six nations have not considered seeking new U.N. sanctions against Iran.
The spokesman said at a briefing that ""dialogue based on mutual respect and compromise is the only possible solution"" to the issue.
Tehran has been repeatedly urged to respond to a draft deal brokered by the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog, which calls for shipping most of Iran's enriched uranium abroad by the end of the year in exchange for fuel rods for research use.
The United States has threatened another round of U.N. sanctions against Iran if it does not abide by the year-end deadline.
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