Translated material
Pen-enemy
The US softened its position on the “Iran problem”
Today in Moscow negotiations will be held between the head of Rosatom Sergei Kiriyenko and the deputy head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Mohammad Saidi. They are devoted to the completion of the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant and our country’s participation in tenders for the construction of two more nuclear power plants.Russian-Iranian negotiations are taking place against the backdrop of a new respite won by Iran. Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, who returned to Moscow from New York yesterday, stressed that “the goal of the entire world community is to preserve the nuclear non-proliferation regime.” And US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said yesterday that the US would wait "a few more weeks for the Europeans to put forward a proposal that clearly shows the Iranians that they can make a choice that opens the way for them to a civilian nuclear program."
The Russian minister and his colleagues discussed the Iranian problem in New York on May 8, where a working dinner of the “six” (five permanent members of the Security Council plus Germany) took place. Nobody expected particularly positive results from this meeting . But contrary to forecasts, the members of the “six” still came to a common denominator on many points. They agreed that the Iranian problem can only be resolved through political and diplomatic means. As the new British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett , for whom the forum in New York became a “baptism of fire,” said on the Iranian issue, “no one has any intention of going down the path of war.”
According to Vremya Novostei, the Security Council resolution on Iran mentioning sanctions was not discussed at all in New York. Its discussion was opposed by Russia and China, who did not like the project prepared by Western countries. But everyone agreed that it was time to resume negotiations with Iran. Obviously, some of the members of the “six” realized that it was useless to wave the stick at Tehran - it was better to alternate between the stick and the carrot.
For example, you can prepare a tough resolution introducing sanctions, but at the same time offer Iran a positive alternative if it accepts the conditions of the world community and answers all questions of interest to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
According to Vremya Novostey, a package proposal to Iran is currently being agreed upon, consisting of three points: 1) Iran will have the opportunity to engage in peaceful nuclear energy; 2) Iran will gain access to other high technologies; 3) Iran will be involved in various formats of regional security through international organizations.
Just ten days ago, the United States would not have wanted to hear about all this, but would have preferred to threaten with forceful action. But something has changed. Perhaps, Moscow suggests, the United States has finally realized that it does not have the strength for another military operation (after Afghanistan and Iraq). And here we cannot ignore yesterday’s statement by former US Secretary of State Madeleine Albright that “the last thing America needs is an invasion of another country.” Albright called on the US to negotiate with Iran.
Iran is not against dialogue. The White House confirmed the receipt of a letter addressed to US President George W. Bush from his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. This is the first time since the Islamic Revolution of 1979 that an Iranian president has addressed the leader of a power declared by Ayatollah Khomeini to be satanic. “Why is any technological and scientific achievement realized in the Middle East region presented as a threat to the Zionist regime? - asks Ahmadinejad. “Aren’t scientific research and development one of the fundamental rights of nations?” He said that it was from the Middle Ages to prohibit scientific research, including in the atomic field: “Then all scientific disciplines, including physics and chemistry, should be rejected , mathematics, medicine, engineering and so on.”
The Iranian President did not receive a written response from his American counterpart. And verbally, the head of the White House said that the Iranian letter does not answer the main question: “When will you get rid of your nuclear program?”