Russia endorses U. N. resolution on Iran

Russia has endorsed a European draft for a U.N. resolution that envisages sanctions against Iran. However, the resolution is unlikely to affect  co-operation between Russia and Iran.

According to the Russia's Ambassador to the U.N,, Vitaly Churkin, the new U.N. draft on Iran's nuclear enrichment programme could be adopted by the end of the year, i.e. by the end of this month.

Mr Churkin comments came after a 6-party meeting between U.N. Security Council members and Germany.

The head of Russia's Atomic Energy Agency, Sergey Kirienko, who is visiting Iran, said Russia expects to complete the Bushehr nuclear power plant by the end of 2007.

Mr Kirienko’s visit to Tehran is aimed at greater energy and trade co-operation.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said the draft of the resolution is more balanced than its previous incarnations, and will not punish Iran's attempts to develop civilian nuclear energy.

“The revised draft is founded on Russian suggestions. It’ll consider restrictions on supplies to Iran of materials capable of being used for uranium enrichment and the chemical reprocessing of radioactive fuels, and work related to the construction of heavy water plants, plus anything that could be related to the production of nuclear weapons. The draft is aimed specifically in this direction, and it’s very important that it doesn’t propose any unfounded sanctions, and contains a series of measures that specifically prevent the supply of technology associated with the IAEA’s concerns. As far as the Bushehr reactor is concerned, it bears no relation to the resolution. The construction of the Bushehr reactor conforms fully to the IAEA’s guidelines, and there are no grounds for any of the restrictions proposed in the draft to affect the Bushehr project whatsoever,” stressed Mr Lavrov.