“Russia is unfailingly guided by its long-term government interests,” Sergei Prikhodko said in response to President Ahmadinejad’s statement who said Moscow is siding with Tehran’s enemies in the nuclear standoff with Washington.
Russia’s position is “specifically Russian, it reflects the interests of all Russia’s people, and therefore can be neither pro-American nor pro-Iranian,” RIA Novosti quoted Prikhodko as saying.
On Wednesday, Ahmadinejad criticized the presidents of Russia and the United States for adopting negative stances toward the Tehran declaration.
According to the declaration, signed by Iran, Turkey, and Brazil on May 17, Tehran would ship 1200 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey to be exchanged for 120 kilograms of 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel to power the Tehran research reactor, which produces radioisotopes for cancer treatment.
However, Russia and China snubbed Iran last week when, just hours after the declaration was issued, Washington announced that all five members of the UN Security Council backed a draft of a new sanctions resolution against Iran.
The U.S. and Russia should take a positive stance on the Tehran declaration, since it is the only chance they have to prove their goodwill toward Iran, Ahmadinejad said.
PA/PA
END
MNA