Russia Upbeat about IAEA Resolution on Iran

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Sunday, September 14, 2003

Russia Upbeat about IAEA Resolution on Iran

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Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak on Saturday positively assessed the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) resolution that urges Iran to provide accelerated cooperation before Oct. 31.

"This is not an ultimatum, but a serious and respectful call for Iran to cooperate with the IAEA, in order to do away with remaining questions of the agency in connection with its peaceful nuclear programs. Iran should do so without delay," Kislyak was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying.

"It is in Iran's interests to ease these concerns and prove the peaceful nature of its programs," Kislyak noted.

The official calls on Teheran to "constructively and seriously "cooperate with the United Nations nuclear watchdog, which will improve the conditions for Iran's international ties in the sphere of peaceful use of nuclear energy, including with Russia.

Kislyak expressed his hope that both the IAEA and Iran will treat the decision in a constructive and serious manner, and the remaining problems will be resolved within the next few months.

The IAEA on Friday gave Iran an Oct. 31 deadline to provide accelerated cooperation and grant unrestricted access in order to corroborate its compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). But the text did not say what would happen if Tehran failed to comply with the Deadline.

Iran on Saturday blasted the IAEA resolution, saying it was "immature" and "politically motivated."

Tehran has repeatedly warned that imposing a deadline would aggravate nuclear tensions and maintained that the resolution was adopted under strong pressure exerted by the United States and some European countries that were trying to take advantage of the IAEA governing board for their political objectives.

Russia, a steadfast cooperator with Iran in the construction of an 800-million-dollar nuclear power plant in Iran's coastal city of Bushehr, has urged Tehran to sign the additional protocol to the nuclear NPT, which would allow IAEA experts to pay snap visits to all of Iran's nuclear sites.

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