- MOSCOW (AFP) - Russian President
Vladimir Putin plans to visit Iran where Russia will continue to assist
in development of a civilian nuclear program, a senior Russian official
said here Thursday.
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- "We do not have a concrete date for a visit by the
president to Iran, but there is a firm agreement with the Iranian side
that this visit will take place in the foreseeable future," Deputy
Foreign Minister Alexander Alekseyev said.
-
- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov will visit Tehran
for two days starting Sunday for talks with Iranian official that could
finalize details for a trip there by Putin, Alekseyev told reporters at
a briefing.
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- Iran is under mounting international pressure to suspend
uranium enrichment activities until its nuclear program is investigated
thoroughly by independent experts, and Russia is also being squeezed for
assisting in its development.
-
- Russia has called on Iran to comply strictly with all
demands from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), but Alekseyev
rejected suggestions that Moscow should suspend its work in Iran's civilian
nuclear program.
-
- "We are working and will work with Iran in the area
of nuclear development for civilian purposes," Alekseyev stated. "It
has no importance whether there is pressure or not."
-
- During his visit, Lavrov was due to discuss a series
of economic projects with Iran as well as possible ways of cooperating
to fight international terrorism.
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- "We could imagine a new document in which Russia
and Iran could express their unacceptance of international terrorism and
their decisive rejection of terrorist acts," Alekseyev said.
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