Iranian nuclear negotiator hints at break with IAEA

Nov 10, 2006, 16:59 GMT

Moscow - Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani hinted Friday in Moscow at a possible breakoff of relations with the nuclear watchdog IAEA over the issue of sanctions against Iran for its nuclear programme.

Larijani met with Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in a visit seen as a bid by Iran to try to stave off threatened UN sanctions against Tehran.

In comments ahead of the meetings, Larijani said Tehran would 'examine' its ties with the International Atomic Energy Agency if the UN Security Council approved a European-posed draft resolution which did not also include Russian proposals to soften the sting.

'Russia is one of the centres keeping the world order in balance,' Larijani was quoted by Russian agencies as saying.

Iran, for its part, aims to play a stabilizing role in its region and to balance out the 'influence of US policy,' he said.

Larijani also said that a Moscow proposal to enrich uranium for Iranian use on Russian soil has 'never been rejected and is still on the table.'

Lavrov repeated Moscow's view that the conflict over Iran's nuclear programme had to be resolved peacefully.

The Russian-Iranian talks Friday also concerned the completion, with Russian engineering help, of the nuclear power plant at Bushehr. Tehran is pushing for a quick completion and start-up of the plant, while Russia is seeking to keep the Bushehr issue out of the debate over possible sanctions against Iran.

Friday's visit was Larijani's third trip to Moscow this year. His visit came as a surprise, taking place only a few days after the postponement of of a scheduled visit by Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki. No reasons were given for the postponement.

The international community suspects Iran of trying to develop a nuclear bomb.

Russia and China have put the brakes on planned UN sanctions against Iran over its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment and provide details about its nuclear programme, as demanded by the UN.