Russia joined criticism of Iran's announcement
that it had enriched uranium, but warned against hasty conclusions or moves
toward use of force as a means of resolving international fears the Islamic
republic was trying to build a nuclear bomb.
"We believe this is a step in the wrong direction," foreign ministry
spokesman Mikhail Kamynin was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying of the
announcement from Tehran, echoing almost verbatim reaction the previous day from
the United States.
Tehran's announcement was in defiance of demands from the UN Security Council
and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that "include a call for
suspension of all uranium enrichment work, including scientific research,"
Kamynin said.
Speaking to reporters later however, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov was far more
circumspect about the implications of the enrichment claim made Tuesday by
Iran's hardline President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad and cautioned that use of force
would be mistaken in responding to it.
"I would not rush to draw any conclusions because passions are inflamed too
often with respect to Iran's nuclear program," Lavrov said.
IAEA experts, including the agency's chief who was starting a fact-finding visit
to Iran on Wednesday, were still studying the issue and should be permitted to
render their conclusions before the next steps to take on the problem were
decided, he said.
"Our task is to prevent violation of the nuclear weapons non-proliferation
regime," Lavrov said, adding that the IAEA was the authoritative body for
evaluating Iran's nuclear program and "so far has not said that Iran is a
threat in this regard."
"I am convinced that there can be no resolution of the problem through use
of force," he said, adding: "Practically all European countries are in
solidarity with Russia on this."
Russia is helping Iran construct its first nuclear power station and has
steadfastly resisted US-led moves to tighten the screws quickly and dramatically
on Tehran, which Washington accuses of secretly developing nuclear weapons under
cover of its civilian atomic energy program.
Tehran continues to deny that charge, but insists it has the same right as any
country that has signed the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop and
fully control its own nuclear power program.
Moscow, seconded by Beijing, has actively defended Iran's right to civilian
nuclear power, though it also says it fully shares US opposition to Tehran
acquiring nuclear weapons.
Many analysts however saw Ahmadinejad's
surprise announcement Tuesday as a spectacular setback for efforts by Russia,
which has extensive commercial interests in Iran, to prevent the United States
from setting the diplomatic agenda on the Iran nuclear crisis.
"Our diplomacy is now trying to cushion the impact of this event and is
trying to put the best face on a bad situation," Georgy Mirsky, an expert
with the Moscow-based Institute of World Economy and International Relations,
commented on the Echo Moscow radio station.
Viktor Kremenyuk, deputy head of the respected USA-Canada Institute policy think
tank, offered a similar assessment.
"We are in a very bad situation," he said of Russia's diplomacy on
Iran.
"Is this the result of our carelessness or was it intentional? We have made
too many mistakes on this issue.
"Is it not we who have created this problem by supporting a peaceful
nuclear program for Iran? If we were so worried, why have we not worked more
closely with the West to end Iran's nuclear program?" Kremenyuk said.
Only hours before Ahmadinejad's
announcement on Tuesday, Lavrov affirmed that Russia's offer to enrich uranium
for Iran on Russian soil, a Russian initiative designed to defuse the problem
while preserving lucrative contracts with Iran -- remained on the table.
