We are sure that sanctions should be limited to non-proliferation only: Sergei Ivanov

 

 

Tehran, February 07, 2010 (Hamsayeh.Net) - The United States and Western allies noticed that their standpoints over the Iranian nuclear issue slowly drifting from those of Russia and China. Just after a latest round of Iran’s nuclear swap offer talks in Germany yesterday, both camps issued differing comments about the course of action to follow.

 

At the annual security conference attended by world’s leaders, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov said even if sanctions against Iran were to be implemented they should focus on stopping nuclear proliferation only and not the country’s economy.  ‘If in future hypothetically, if new sanctions are imposed, we are sure that sanctions should be limited to non-proliferation only and not be expanded to cultural, humanitarian, economic parts of Iranian activity,’ Reuters quoted Ivanov telling the audience at the conference.

 

On the other hand US Defense Secretary Robert Gates suggested a much more aggressive approach towards Iran after the US and allies failed to take advantage of the opportunity provided to them by accepting a nuclear swap deal with Tehran.  Robert gates on a visit to Turkey said, ‘I don't have the sense that we're close to an agreement.’

 

The US-led Western coalition, seeks to take away Iran’s stocks of low enriched uranium out of the country’s territory and again come up with some excuses in the future to actually prevent the shipment of higher enriched uranium to ever go back to Iran, as they have done this for umpteen times in the past several decades.

 

That could explain why Westerners are unwilling to provide guarantees for nuclear fuel return and also speak of one-year enrichment process whereas scientifically it should take 2 to 3 months to enrich the amount of uranium required for Tehran reactor. Iranian technicians have said they could enrich this amount of uranium to 20 percent level within 2 to 3 months time, and the question is why it could take over a year for such advance countries in the nuclear field like France to perform the same task?

 

German Foreign Minister followed other Western powers comments on the issue saying the latest nuclear proposal doesn’t offer anything new.

China’s Foreign Minister however dismissed Western bullying stand regarding the Iranian nuclear dossier by suggesting it was time to negotiate further on the subject.