Putin says Tehran is not planning to build nukes

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced today that his government will continue to support Iran’s nuclear programs and he does not believe Tehran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Moscow assisted Iran in building its nuclear reactor much to the dismay of the United States.

Putin reemphasized Russia’s support for Iran’s nuclear programs after meeting with Iranian officials today in Moscow. ‘The spread of nuclear weapons on the planet does not aid security, it does not strengthen security. The latest steps from Iran confirm that Iran does not intend to produce nuclear weapons and we will continue to develop relations in all spheres, including the peaceful use of nuclear energy,’ Putin told reporters.

He added, ‘We hope that Iran will strictly adhere to all international agreements, in relation to Russia and the international community.’ Iran is certain to be on the agenda when Putin meets with President Bush next Thursday in Slovakia. Today’s statement makes it clear that Mr. Bush will have difficulty persuading Mr. Putin to change his mind about Tehran.

The latest steps on Iran’s behalf persuade us that Iran has no intention of building an atomic weapon,” Putin said as he greeted Iran’s top nuclear negotiator, Hassan Rowhani, at the Kremlin. “Consequently, we will continue to cooperate with Iran in all fields, including in nuclear energy,” the Russian leader said.

Putin said he had received and intended to accept an invitation to visit Iran, but stressed that Russia remained “deeply convinced” that the spread of nuclear weapons constituted a serious threat to world security and would not want to see Iran attempt to acquire the bomb. “We hope that Iran will strictly respect all commitments it has made bilaterally with Russia and internationally,” he stated.

Putin’s comments came a day after Iran announced that it had agreed to sign on February 26 an agreement under which it would be obliged to return all spent nuclear fuel from civilian reactors to Russia. Russian President Vladimir Putin told Iran’s Hassan Rouhani, secretary at Iran’s Supreme Security Council, that Russia will continue cooperation with Iran in nuclear energy, security and economic projects, Putin’s press service said in a statement on the Kremlin Web site. Putin met Rouhani in Moscow today, it said.

The U.S. has been urging Russia to pull out of the contract on helping to build an $800 million nuclear reactor in Iran’s city of Bushehr saying Iran, the Middle East’s second-biggest oil producer, doesn’t need nuclear power and the facility is part of plans to produce nuclear weapons.

Russia took over the contract after Ukraine pulled out of the agreement to supply turbines for that plant in 1998 because of pressure from the U.S. and Israel.