- Title: RUSSIA/IRAN: Russia, Iran to work on resumption of six-party talks
- Date: 12th November 2006
- Summary: (EU) TEHRAN, IRAN (NOVEMBER 11, 2006) (REUTERS) IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MANOUCHEHR MOTTAKI AND HEAD OF POLITICAL COMMITTEE OF PALESTINE FATAH MOVEMENT FAROUQ QADDUMI WALKING TO PODIUM CAMERAMEN WIDE OF MOTTAKI AND QADOMI STANDING AT THE PODIUM (SOUNDBITE) (FARSI) IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MANOUCHEHR MOTTAKI SAYING: "Iran seeks to preserve its rights to nuclear technology on its soil but it does not contradict joint work with others in other areas." REPORTERS PHOTOGRAPHER (SOUNDBITE) (FARSI) IRANIAN FOREIGN MINISTER MANOUCHEHR MOTTAKI SAYING: "Iran will not accept any thing beyond the IAEA charter and the NPT (Non - Proliferation - Treaty) concerning its heavy water plant or its other activities." WIDE OF NEWS CONFERENCE
- Embargoed: 27th November 2006 12:00
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- Reuters ID: LVAF2OJD81SORNGALAPEI5IQ00GL
- Story Text: Russia and Iran will work on resumption of six-party talks, Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told Russian news agencies on Saturday (November 11) after President Vladimir Putin met Iran's nuclear envoy.
Putin began talks with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council and Iran's chief nuclear negotiator, in his country residence, Russian news agencies reported.
Lavrov and Security Council secretary Igor Ivanov were also taking part in the meeting. Interfax said Larijani's discussion with Ivanov earlier on Saturday lasted about five hours.
"There is an agreement that our contacts will be continued and, of course, we will work on achieving our common goal, the resumption of six-party talks. In the near future we will continue having contacts with the members of the six-party talks, who have offered Iran some ideas as the basis for resumption of the talks and Iran has responded to it," Lavrov told reporters after the meeting.
Moscow had hoped to find a resolution to the Iranian nuclear crisis during the so far two-day visit by Larijani.
In Tehran, Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said Iran is ready to consider a proposal to enrich uranium in Russia to lessen suspicions over its nuclear programme but would not stop similar work inside Iran.
"Iran seeks to preserve its rights to nuclear technology on its soil but it dose not contradict joint work with others in other areas," Mottaki said during a joint news conference with visiting Palestine Fatah official Farouq Qaddumi.
"Iran will not accept any thing beyond the IAEA charter and the NPT (Non - Proliferation - Treaty) concerning its heavy water plant or its other activities," Mottaki added.
The United Nations Security Council is trying to reach agreement on sanctions against Iran after it failed to halt uranium enrichment as demanded in a July council resolution.
Western nations accuse Iran of trying secretly to build an atomic arsenal, but Iran says it has the right to enrich uranium and only wants to generate electricity.
Russia had proposed building a joint nuclear enrichment facility on its soil to enrich Iran's uranium to the level used in power stations, which is lower than is needed to make bombs.
Russia, one of Iran's main trading partners, wants parts of a European draft sanctions text deleted, while the United States wants stronger language inserted. Negotiations are likely to continue for some time.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday (November 10) that Iran's enemies could not do a "damn thing" to stop Iran's nuclear activities.
Iran ended snap inspections of its nuclear facilities in February after its case was referred to the U.N. Security Council and has threatened to curtail all inspections by the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, if sanctions are imposed.
On Friday, Larijani said after meeting senior Russian officials that Iran would review relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) if the U.N. Security Council adopted a European draft resolution imposing sanctions.
The EU Draft resolution demands nations prevent the sale and supply of equipment, technology and financing contributing to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missiles programmes. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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