Russia backs Iran on its nuclear program, says no evidence proves Western claims
By Sara Rajabova
Russia's foreign minister has voiced support for Iran's nuclear energy program, rejecting the Western allegations that Iran is pursuing non-civilian objectives, and stressed that there is no evidence backing up the claims.
"I haven't seen any confirmation by any intelligence -- be it Russian, be it European, the United States or Mossad -- that would categorically say that the Iranian leadership has taken a political decision to have a military nuclear program," Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with Russia Today broadcasting company.
According to Lavrov, no intelligence agency in the world has been able to make this conclusion so far.
"And we spoke to our American colleagues just recently. They agreed that Iran hasn't taken a political decision to go military in its nuclear program," Lavrov said.
Lavrov also said Russia is convinced that six to nine months is enough time to find a mutually acceptable solution concerning Iran's nuclear program.
Lavrov said that as talks on Iran's nuclear program progress, the international community "must arrive at a point where everyone would be satisfied that the Iranian nuclear program is entirely peaceful."
He said then Iran should be out of any sanctions -- both those imposed by the (United Nations) Security Council and also unilateral sanctions.
Meanwhile, chairman of the Iranian parliament's national security and foreign policy committee Alaeddin Boroujerdi said Tehran expects European countries to reconsider their policy of sanctions against Iran.
In a meeting with the head of Africa, Asia/Pacific and Latin America and the Middle East Division in the German Foreign Ministry, Clemens von Goetze, in Tehran, Boroujerdi said Iran welcomes the expansion of relations with the European countries and hopes that their policy of sanctions will change as quickly as possible.
Western powers suspect Iran of using its nuclear program to develop atomic weapons, a claim that Iran has consistently denied. Tehran has argued that as a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency, it is entitled to developing nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.
The six world powers - Britain, China, France, Germany, Russia and the United States - and Iran will meet in Geneva on October 15 and 16 in an effort to resolve the long-standing dispute over Iran's nuclear program.