Ryabkov: Iran’s N-program Non-military In Nature

Moscow, Sept 9, IRNA – Deputy Russian Foreign Minister Sergey A. Ryabkov says Iran’s nuclear program is not military in nature. Speaking to IRNA on the sidelines of the 2012 Non Proliferation Conference in Moscow, Ryabkov said, “My concept of Iran’s nuclear program is positive under ongoing conditions.” He noted that the Iran-G+1 nuclear talks follow their natural course, adding that there is no reason to worry about continuation of the talks. “We try to prevent Iran-G5+1 talks not to be interrupted because under such a condition, the negotiating parties would have to begin from zero.” Speaking at a nonproliferation conference in Moscow on Friday, Ryabkov said that no pauses should be allowed to slow the pace of talks between Iran and the P5+1 comprising the US, Britain, France, Germany, Russia, and China. The Russian diplomat stated that negotiations between the two sides have not come to a standstill as contacts are under way, adding that meetings and talks will resume soon. The deputies to Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Saeed Jalili and EU foreign policy chief, Catherine Ashton, held day-long talks in the Turkish city of Istanbul on July 24. The meeting between Ali Baqeri and Helga Schmid was held three weeks after Iran and the P5+1 held expert-level talks on July 3 in Istanbul with the participation of representatives and experts from both sides. The two sides had already agreed to hold the expert-level talks during their negotiations in the Russian capital, Moscow, in June. At the heart of the Moscow negotiations was Iran’s nuclear energy program, with Tehran reiterating its inalienable right to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes. The United States, Israel and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program. Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to develop and acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes./end