Iran to pursue atomic research despite Russian plan

Mon Feb 20, 12:56 PM ET

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Iran vowed on Monday to pursue its nuclear research even if talks in Moscow produce agreement on a Russian compromise aimed at keeping bomb-grade enriched uranium out of the Islamic Republic's hands.

There was no word on the outcome of closed-door Kremlin talks between Russian and Iranian officials on Moscow's offer to enrich uranium on Iran's behalf for use in power stations. A Russian source said the two sides would meet again on Tuesday.

"It is too early to talk about results. The negotiations are continuing," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

The United States and the European Union trio of France, Britain and Germany -- the countries pressing Iran hardest on its nuclear program -- have welcomed the Russian plan.

But U.S. and other officials are skeptical, saying Tehran is keeping the Russian offer on the table to buy time.

"The Iranians will try to throw sand in everybody's eyes, as they have for the last three years," the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, John Bolton, said of the Moscow talks. "We'll see what results," he told reporters in New York.

In Brussels, Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki insisted his country would press ahead with nuclear research even if it accepts the Russian proposal.

"If we reach some compromise ... (on the Russian proposal), we continue our cooperation from where we are now. That is, the research department will continue its activity," he said.

Iran says it needs atomic power for electricity, not bombs.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana said Mottaki had made no new proposals to EU officials.

"The substantive position (of Iran) has not changed," he told reporters, urging Tehran to shift its stance before Mohamed ElBaradei, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reports on Iran's nuclear activities on March 6.

"We hope very much from the Iranian side some movement will take place before that date," he said. "If nothing happens, the Iranian government should know what may happen on March 6."

The 35-nation IAEA board this month reported Iran to the U.N. Security Council, which is waiting to hear ElBaradei's conclusions before deciding on possible action against Tehran.

U.N. SANCTIONS

Mottaki said it was wrong for the West to use the Security Council to promote punitive measures against Iran. "We believe the time of threats is over. The Security Council should not be considered as a tool in the hands of some countries," he said.

Russia hopes its compromise can keep Western threats of sanctions against Iran at bay, but the tone adopted by officials before the low-key Moscow talks boded ill for any breakthrough.

"We will not step back one inch from our obvious right (to nuclear technology)," said the head of Iran's delegation, Ali Hosseinitash, a deputy head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Iranian television reported.

Lavrov told President Vladimir Putin he felt "reserved" about the outcome, but promised Moscow would do all it could to stop the dispute between Iran and the West turning violent.

Russia has demanded that Iran reinstate a moratorium on uranium enrichment before creating a joint venture to supply it with the low-enriched fuel -- which could not be used for bombs.

Mottaki said the Russian plan must satisfy four criteria: who would take part in the project; where enrichment would take place; how long the project would take; and whether the West accepted its right to peaceful nuclear activities.

Earlier, Mottaki met EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner, whose spokeswoman said afterwards the European Union remained keen to find a diplomatic solution.

"We have no wish to isolate Iran, we hope Iran will not choose to isolate itself," the spokeswoman said, calling on Iran to return to a suspension of uranium enrichment.

The IAEA sent the dispute to the Security Council after Iran removed IAEA seals on uranium enrichment equipment at its Natanz facility in January after suspending work there for 2-1/2 years while it negotiated with the three EU powers.

Russia, which has veto power at the council, opposes sanctions which would disrupt its commercial ties with Iran and says the dispute should be solved under the IAEA umbrella.

Europe, smarting from disruptions to its Russian gas supplies, would like closer energy ties with Iran, which has the second largest gas reserves in the world after Russia.

But EU energy chief Andris Piebalgs, visiting Shanghai on Monday, said the nuclear row had to be solved first.

(Additional reporting by Paul Hughes in Tehran, Mark Heinrich in Vienna, Mark John and Sebastian Alison in Brussels, Oleg Shchedrov in Moscow and Lucy Hornby in Shanghai)

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