Putin to Sarkozy: No proof Iran has nuke plans

www.chinaview.cn 2007-10-11 05:13:31 Print

MOSCOW, Oct. 10 (Xinhua) --

Russia would continue cooperation with other countries at the United Nations in order to settle Iran's nuclear problem, Russian President Vladimir Putin said after talks with visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy at the Kremlin on Wednesday.

"We have no data that Iran seeks to produce nuclear weapons. We believe that it has no such plans ... But we share concerns by our partners to make Iran's programs open and transparent. We consent that in recent years Iran has taken steps towards this direction," Putin was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as saying.

Iran "is taking certain steps towards the international community. We continue close cooperate with our partners at the UN Security Council and intend to join efforts in this direction," he said.

"This is very important what President Putin said," Sarkozy said.

But he added that France was likely to have "other information" on Iran's nuclear program. The main thing in this direction "is the wish to cooperate," Sarkozy said. "I believe that this is the most important element. This is related to the whole planet," he added.

Putin also said Russia is ready to closely cooperate with other countries, including with the EU, on Iran's nuclear problem. "I hope that France's presidency in the EU will strengthen Russia-EU relations."

Putin, Sarkozy meet on Iran nuclear issue in Moscow

Special report: Iran Nuclear Crisis

BEIJING, Oct. 10 (Xinhuanet) --

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he did not believe Iran was trying to build a nuclear bomb after meeting with visiting French President Nicolas Sarkozy in Moscow Wednesday.

"We do not have information that Iran is trying to create a nuclear weapon. We operate on the principle that Iran does not have those plans," Putin said after the end of the talks with Sarkozy who was in Moscow visiting, according to media reports.

"We agreed that Iran is taking steps" to cooperate with international demands, Putin told a joint news conference in Moscow Wednesday with French President Sarkozy. Putin said work to bring Iran to cooperate was going on at the United Nations, adding "we agreed that this will go on in the future." Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) meets his French counterpart Nicolas Sarkozy for talks in the Kremlin in Moscow Oct. 10, 2007.

Putin added that in Iran's nuclear program Russia is building the first civilian power station, which will be "absolutely transparent."

According to AFP reports, Sarkozy said after his three-hour talks in the Kremlin that Putin's readiness was "important." He said that French and Russian views on Iran had "come a lot closer," and that there was a "convergence of views on the status of Iranian research."

Sarkozy has joined President George W. Bush in accusing Iran of trying to build a nuclear weapon. Russia has opposed the U.S.-push for tougher sanctions against Iran and called for more checks and inspections of Iranian facilities by an international nuclear watchdog.

This was the first visit as president to Moscow for the new French leader.

(Agencies)

Editor: Sun Yunlong

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