Iran calls for balanced strategic partnership with Russia

Such a strategic partnership would be a “two-way street”, but to realize this requires “firm determination” by the two sides, Jalili told the visiting Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov and his delegation here on Saturday.

Jalili added that the “two great countries of Iran and Russia” have the potential to achieve this goal.

Ryabkov praised Iran’s constructive positions toward regional and international issues.

The Russian deputy foreign minister said Moscow believes that its relations with Iran are deep-rooted and no country can damage them.

He also stated that Moscow supports Tehran’s principled nuclear position. “Russia will support Iran’s rational approach in the nuclear issue,” Ryabkov noted. 

He called Jalili’s letter to the EU foreign policy chief very important, saying, “The content of the letter showed that Iran’s approach to the nuclear issue is rational and constructive.”

In his letter to EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana on October 6, Jalili accused the six major powers of “unreasonable behavior” in regard to Tehran’s nuclear program.

Solana represents the 5+1 group (five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany) in nuclear negotiations with Iran.

The UN Security Council has slapped three rounds of sanctions on Iran for refusing to suspend uranium enrichment.

On Wednesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that unilateral sanctions against Iran would be “counterproductive”.

Russia is of the view that the “politics of adopting unilateral and anti-Iranian sanctions espoused by some countries is counterproductive,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.

As a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), Iran has a right to enrich uranium to make nuclear fuel.

In a separate meeting with Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Mohammad-Ali Hosseini, Ryabkov said dialogue is the only way to settle differences over Iran’s nuclear program.

Russia has vowed that it will complete the Bushehr nuclear plant in 2009.

Hosseini said the Bushehr plant is a symbol of cooperation between the two countries.

The Russian deputy foreign minister said Moscow will keep its promise to complete the project at the agreed time.

PA/HG

END

MNA