| On Russian territory Yesterday in Moscow, foreign diplomats discussed the news of a breakthrough that occurred through Russia's mediation in the case surrounding the Iranian nuclear issue. As Vremya Novostei learned, there was even a rumor that Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov would make an unexpected one-day visit to Tehran in the near future. This coincided with reports from Western news agencies that the European Union had come to terms with the Iranians’ continuation of work in the field of peaceful nuclear energy, but on the condition that Iran enriched uranium on the territory of a third country. The journalists cited unnamed diplomatic sources in Vienna, where the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is headquartered.
Such a third country, according to the agencies, will be Russia. A senior Iranian diplomat confirmed to Vremya Novostei yesterday that such a proposal is being discussed. However, he asked not to rush to conclusions and noted that Tehran has not given a clear answer to this proposal and it is far from a fact that it will give a positive one. Our interlocutor, who wished to remain anonymous, confirmed, by the way, the information about the change of Iranian ambassadors in a number of European countries, noting that new candidates are still unknown.
As for Sergei Lavrov’s visit to Tehran, according to Vremya Novostei, there are no immediate plans for such a trip. And the unverified rumor appeared because today another high-ranking Russian official, Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov, is leaving for Iran for important negotiations that were prepared in advance.
However, the Iranians seem to have a chance. The American newspaper The New York Times is confident that US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and IAEA Director General Muhammad ElBaradei have already agreed on relaxations for Iran in secret negotiations. Yesterday, the Egyptian mysteriously mentioned that there was hope to soon reach a compromise on Tehran’s nuclear programs. While hinting at the carrot and negotiating with the IAEA, the Americans, however, do not forget about the stick: George Bush yesterday extended Washington's unilateral sanctions against Tehran, adopted 26 years ago, immediately after the Islamic revolution in Iran.
And the day before in Moscow, after negotiations on Wednesday between Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and colleagues from European countries, British Foreign Minister Jack Straw made a sensational statement. At a press conference, he announced that the European Union would not like the Iranian dossier to be transferred to the UN Security Council, although such a possibility exists after the IAEA resolution adopted at the end of September. Immediately after this, the EU High Representative for Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana emphasized in an interview with Vremya Novostey that there is progress, but much now depends on Tehran: “On the issue of the advisability of transferring the Iranian dossier to the UN Security Council, we will proceed from the behavior of Iran and the international situations." But the situation, he said, remains “very delicate.”
Iranians, however, are very optimistic. Vice President of Iran and head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organization Gholam Reza Aghazadeh is confident that the new “November IAEA report on the Iranian nuclear program will be positive” (the agency’s next meeting is scheduled for November 24). According to the Iranians, the creation of joint ventures with foreigners in the field of peaceful atom will also contribute to strengthening the confidence of the international community in Iranian nuclear programs. Elena SUPONINA, Katerina LABETSKAYA |
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