European leaders formed a united front with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, emphasizing their common position on Iran's nuclear ambitions and pressing Syria to withdraw from Lebanon
Published:
20 March 2005 y., Sunday
European leaders formed a united front with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, emphasizing their common position on Iran's nuclear ambitions and pressing Syria to withdraw from Lebanon.
At a joint news conference, Putin and the leaders of France, Russia and German said there was no contradiction between Russian nuclear cooperation with Iran and Europe's efforts to ensure that Tehran is not building nuclear weapons.
"We all have an interest in Iran not having nuclear weapons. They must not produce them. They must not possess them. But no one can deny a country the right to have nuclear energy for civilian and peaceful ends," said German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder, speaking through a translator.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said that although his country is aiding Iran's civilian nuclear program, Tehran also must prove that it is not pursuing nuclear weapons.
"Iran must prove that it refuses totally the acquisition of a nuclear weapon. No other limit exists," said the Russian leader, also speaking through a translator.
The United States is worried that Russia's construction of a reactor in the Iranian city of Bushehr could help Tehran develop nuclear weapons. Tehran denies it is seeking the bomb.
But U.S. officials say Russia increasingly has shared their concerns about Iran's nuclear program and have praised Moscow for demanding a deal — signed last month — that obliges Iran to return spent nuclear fuel from Bushehr. The accord is designed to prevent any possibility that Tehran will extract plutonium from the spent fuel and use it to make nuclear weapons.
Šaltinis:
centraleuropepost.com
Copying, publishing, announcing any information from the News.lt portal without written permission of News.lt editorial office is prohibited.
The most popular articles
Continued Strong Economic Growth of Lithuania in 2005
more »
MIL Equity Partners to invest in Bulgaria, other European countries
more »
Once the laggard among the rapidly restructuring central European economies, Slovakia now ranks as a top contender in the region's next major undertaking after joining the European Union
more »
With the balance of trade tilted heavily in favor of Poland, Saudi Arabia has decided to activate the Saudi-Polish Business Council and take other export promotion measures
more »
The European Union trade commissioner will for the first time participate in work of the Russian Economic Forum in London
more »
It is the only source that can provide a chance for economic breakthrough
more »
European leaders formed a united front with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday, emphasizing their common position on Iran's nuclear ambitions and pressing Syria to withdraw from Lebanon
more »
The Russian economy has benefited from rapid growth but government interventions in some businesses have increased uncertainty in the investment climate, the World Bank said on Thursday in a review of its lending strategy
more »
The Russian Central Bank has set the official euro exchange rate for March 19 to 21 at 36.7 RUR/EUR
more »
Ukraine plans to replace its currency's peg to the dollar with a more flexible exchange rate system that includes the euro
more »