“Iran is interested in cooperation with Belarus and is ready to develop interaction in all spheres,†Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko arrived in Iran on a three-day visit Sunday to discuss boosting trade and economic cooperation between the two countries.
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November 7, 2006Iran said it preferred Russia’s stance on its disputed nuclear program even though Moscow has said it supports limited sanctions on Tehran, The Associated Press reported.
“Russians’ stance is better than other…countries. They have a softer policy. Since the beginning, their stance was different,†said Mohammad Ali Hosseini, spokesman of Iran’s Foreign Ministry.
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Russian President Vladimir Putin told his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that Moscow favors continued talks over Iran’s nuclear program amid a continued split in the UN Security Council over possible sanctions against Tehran, AFP said.
In a telephone conversation, “Putin put forward the principled position of Russia in favor of continuing the process of negotiations during a discussion of the situation surrounding Iran’s nuclear program,†the Kremlin press service said in a statement.
Western powers at the UN Security Council have been pushing for sanctions against Iran over its refusal to halt uranium enrichment, but Russia and China have been reluctant to vote for a severe set of penalties against Tehran.
Iran has stepped up its research into the sensitive activity as diplomats have warned it could take several weeks to reach an agreement.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov last week rejected the proposed sanctions, arguing that they did not advance objectives agreed on by six leading world powers concerned with the case.
The Chinese stance has yet to become clear, although Beijing — like Moscow — is an economic ally of Iran and traditionally reluctant to use sanctions for diplomatic leverage.
A text drafted by Britain, France and Germany in consultations with Washington provides for a freeze of assets related to Iran’s ballistic missile program and nuclear industry as well as travel bans on scientists.
Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini on Sunday said it was clear that there was a split between the stances of China and Russia on one hand and Europe and the U.S. on the other.
“These two countries have completely different positions to the Europeans. Russia does not want sanctions and does not want to close the path of negotiations, and the Chinese have a similar position,†he said.
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October 31, 2006Iran’s Presidential Advisor Mohammad Nahavandian said Iran-Russia cultural ties are important for establishment of peace and tranquility in the world, IRNA reported.
In a panel discussion on Iran-Russia cultural ties and its impact on Islamic world on Saturday, Nahavandian described the prospect of the bilateral ties ’good’ which should be used properly.
The panel discussion was held in the framework of International Conference of “Iran and Russia, Dialogue among Civilizations†under auspices of the Russian Presidential Office.
Stressing that three years have passed since the signing of cultural cooperation agreement between Iran and Russia, Nahavandian called for the evaluation of its outcome.
President’s advisor said the world situation is abnormal and full of tension adding, “In this situation, Iran-Russia relations can contribute to the peace in the world.â€
He went on to say Iran and Russia can cooperate in three national, regional and international levels for which mutual understanding and relations are necessary.
Nahavandian set forth proposals for expansion of cultural ties between the two countries including; doing joint research projects in the higher education institutes, exchanging university professors and students, holding cultural days in the scientific centers and displaying art and constructive movies in both countries television networks.
Iran’s embassy cultural attache in Russia Mehdi Eimanipour was another participants in the panel discussion who emphasized the necessity of bilateral cultural cooperation between Iran and Russia.
Referring to the beginning of the work of the Russian Strategic Viewpoints and the Islamic World Group, the Iranian cultural attache said, “Experienced experts are working in the group and are trying to find ways to solve existing problems and expand ties of Russia and Islamic world.â€
He said Russia’s intention to develop ties with the Islamic world has various internal and external reasons.
Internally, 20 mln Muslims living in Russia is an important factor and the weakening of the US and the west positions in the Islamic world, is a good opportunity for Russia to expand its presence among world Muslims, and in this concern Iran can be a good help to Russia.
Another speaker in the panel discussion was Iran’s Deputy of Culture and Islamic Guidance minister Mohammad Hadi Homayoun, who emphasized Iran’s increasing intention on dialogue with the Russian Orthodox Christianity.
He said, “By creating cultural studies courses and implementing joint research projects, the experts from Iran and Russia try to get acquainted more with both countries.â€
Professor Alexander Logonov from Russia State University criticized both Iran and Russian text books and said, “Information about Iran and Russia is not sufficient and even unfriendly which does not conform with existing relations.â€
He suggested that expertise groups of both countries cooperate in compiling text books.
The Russian professor also called for displaying of TV programs and movies about Muslims and Christians.
Sadeq Haqiqat, a professor from Mofid University in Qom, proposed exchanging university students and experts and holding cultural exhibitions to promote cultural cooperation.
Jahangir Dorri, a writer and a professor in Russian Military Academy also presented 3 proposals in this concern.
The proposals included, Considering information on Iran and Russia in their history text books, translating Iran’s contemporary novels in Asian and Africa Magazines and printing Russian and Persian literary books in both countries.
International conference titled “Iran, Russia, Dialogue among Civilizations†wrapped up its works Saturday after two-day discussions and exchange of views.
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October 30, 2006Visiting Georgian Foreign Minister Gela Bezhuashvili held talks with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran to discuss bilateral relations.
President Ahmadinejad called for further broadening of mutual cooperation in commercial, investment, transportation and energy sectors.
Referring to the existing row between Russia and Georgia, the Iranian President called on the sides to show restraint in order to defuse tensions.
“No one benefits from conflicts in the region and all parties involved should exercise wisdom and self-restraint to remove tensions and further boost friendly and brotherly ties between nations. Iran is ready to fully cooperate to this end,†President Ahmadinejad.
The Georgian Foreign Minister, for his part, called for promotion of ties between the two countries mainly in energy sector and invited the Iranian President to pay an official visit to Georgia, according to IRNA.
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October 27, 2006Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert will meet President Vladimir Putin for talks focusing on Israeli concerns over Iran’s Russian-backed nuclear program and Russian weapons sales in the Middle East, the AFP news agency reports.
Olmert’s trip marks 15 years of diplomatic ties with Russia, but behind the pageantry and ceremonious welcome late Tuesday serious tensions exist over Moscow’s ties with Iran and Syria.
Olmert was expected to present his concerns during the Kremlin meeting with Putin and separate talks with Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.
Backed by its U.S. ally, Israel has been pushing for the UN Security Council to adopt sanctions against Iran over its failure to heed demands to suspend uranium enrichment — a process Israel says hides a secret nuclear weapons program.
Russia, which is building Iran’s first civilian nuclear power station at Bushehr, has resisted the push for sanctions.
Israel — widely considered the Middle East’s sole, if undeclared nuclear weapons power — considers Tehran its chief foe because of calls from President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to wipe the Jewish state off the map and its alleged backing for the Lebanese Hezbollah militia and Palestinian militant groups.
“We are determined to prevent Iran from obtaining nuclear capability. Russia understands that this is a general existential threat and not only a threat to Israel,†Olmert said earlier.
Israel also claims that sophisticated Russian weaponry sold to Syria has been passed on to Hezbollah guerrillas, who allegedly used the latest Russian-made anti-tank rockets to deadly effect during fighting with the Israeli army in July and August.
Moscow has also raised eyebrows in Israel and the United States by maintaining contacts with the radical Palestinian movement Hamas.
The Vremya Novostei daily reported Wednesday that Putin was furious over reports that Syria had supplied Hezbollah with weapons sold by Russia.
“However, this does not mean that Russia will completely stop selling weapons to Iran and Syria, as the Israelis want,†the daily predicted.
“Cooperation with Tehran and Damascus, including in the oil-gas and atomic (energy) spheres, bring Moscow dividends — and not only material. Russia plays a unique middleman role.â€
On Tuesday, Olmert said that “Putin told me when he was in Israel 18 months ago that he would never consciously and willingly give a hand to harm Israel’s security. I do not feel the Russia position on the issue is aggressive towards us.â€
In a statement ahead of the Putin-Olmert meeting, the Kremlin reiterated its frequent call for restraint in the Middle East, saying that “use of force will not lead to the desired resolution in the region.â€
Russia, along with the European Union, the United Nations and the United States, is part of the so-called quartet that sponsors the floundering Middle East peace process but an Israeli government official has made it clear that efforts to revive it were off the agenda of this week’s talks.
“At the moment, the peace process is not an issue on the agenda,†the official said.
Olmert was also due to meet leaders of Russia’s Jewish community during his stay in Moscow.
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October 18, 2006International action over Tehran’s nuclear program must be in proportion to the real situation in Iran, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has said, the Reuters news agency reports.
“It is necessary to act on Iran but that action should be in direct proportion to what is really happening,†RIA Novosti news agency quoted Lavrov as saying on Wednesday.
“And what is really happening is what the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) reports to us. And the IAEA is not reporting to us about the presence there of a threat to peace and security,†the minister stressed.
French UN Ambassador Jean-Marc de la Sabliere told journalist earlier that the European powers were going to put forward a draft UN Security Council resolution during the course of this week.
According to the media reports, the resolution would impose limited sanctions, including bans on nuclear and missile cooperation.
Six countries — U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany offered Iran a package of economic incentives and political rewards in June 2006 if it agreed to consider a long-term moratorium on enrichment and commit to a freeze on uranium enrichment before talks to discuss details of their package, the Associated Press reported.
But Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly said his country would continue enrichment, and is not intimidated by the possibility of sanctions.
EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, who has led talks on behalf of the six nations, said he spoke to top Iranian negotiation Ali Larijani on Monday but “the situation hasn’t changed,†and Iran continues to refuse to suspend its nuclear enrichment program.
“We have to see if we can overcome the situation that makes it impossible to start negotiations,†he said.
Solana’s negotiations with Tehran were seen as a final bid to avoid a full-blown confrontation between Iran and the U.N. after it ignored an Aug. 31 deadline to suspend enrichment or face punishment.
The United States has called for broad sanctions, such as a total ban on missile and nuclear technology sales, while the Russians and Chinese back prohibitions of selected items as a first step.
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