Tweet
LAVROV TO HOLD URGENT MEETING WITH AHMADINEJAD
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.10.2007 17:25 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to
depart for Tehran on a short working visit to meet Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today.
Lavrov's visit is to take place against the backdrop of growing
tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which have been fueled by the
latter's nuclear program. Iran has denied developing nuclear weapons,
while it has insisted on its right to pursue a peaceful nuclear
program.
UN atomic watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed
ElBaradei said Sunday he had no evidence that Iran is building nuclear
weapons and accused U.S. leaders of adding "fuel to the fire" with
recent bellicose rhetoric.
We haven't received any information there is a parallel, ongoing,
active nuclear weapon program," he told CNN.
"Second, even if Iran were to be working on nuclear weapons ... they
are at least a few years away from having such weapon," he said,
citing Washington's own intelligence assessments.
"My fear is that if we continue to escalate from both sides that
we will end up into a precipice, we will end up into an abyss. The
Middle East is in a total mess, to say the least. And we cannot add
fuel to the fire."
In recent months, Bush has predicted "nuclear holocaust" and "World
War III" if Tehran gets atomic weapons, while Vice President Cheney
has warned of "serious consequences" for Iran if it defies global
demands to freeze uranium enrichment - echoing the UN resolution that
Washington says authorized war in Iraq.
The Lavrov-Ahmadinejad talks will take place 2 weeks after the visit
of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Iran. It's not ruled out that
the parties will discuss the possibility of Iranian leader's visit
to Russia, the RosBusinessConsulting reports.
PanARMENIAN.Net
30.10.2007 17:25 GMT+04:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is due to
depart for Tehran on a short working visit to meet Iranian President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad today.
Lavrov's visit is to take place against the backdrop of growing
tensions between the U.S. and Iran, which have been fueled by the
latter's nuclear program. Iran has denied developing nuclear weapons,
while it has insisted on its right to pursue a peaceful nuclear
program.
UN atomic watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency chief Mohamed
ElBaradei said Sunday he had no evidence that Iran is building nuclear
weapons and accused U.S. leaders of adding "fuel to the fire" with
recent bellicose rhetoric.
We haven't received any information there is a parallel, ongoing,
active nuclear weapon program," he told CNN.
"Second, even if Iran were to be working on nuclear weapons ... they
are at least a few years away from having such weapon," he said,
citing Washington's own intelligence assessments.
"My fear is that if we continue to escalate from both sides that
we will end up into a precipice, we will end up into an abyss. The
Middle East is in a total mess, to say the least. And we cannot add
fuel to the fire."
In recent months, Bush has predicted "nuclear holocaust" and "World
War III" if Tehran gets atomic weapons, while Vice President Cheney
has warned of "serious consequences" for Iran if it defies global
demands to freeze uranium enrichment - echoing the UN resolution that
Washington says authorized war in Iraq.
The Lavrov-Ahmadinejad talks will take place 2 weeks after the visit
of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Iran. It's not ruled out that
the parties will discuss the possibility of Iranian leader's visit
to Russia, the RosBusinessConsulting reports.