MOSCOW, February 21 (RIA Novosti) - Tehran sees no links between Russia's uranium enrichment proposals and its nuclear research moratorium, which it unilaterally lifted in January, a senior Iranian official said Tuesday. "We see no technical links between these two issues," Ali Hosseini-Tash, the deputy head of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, told Russia Today TV.
He said both issues had been discussed during the February 20-21 nuclear talks in Moscow.
Speaking about the pressure on Iran from the West, the official said this had more to do with the moratorium.
Ali Hosseini-Tash said the Russian side had supported Iran's right for the peaceful use of nuclear power, adding that the talks would soon be resumed.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday that he hoped the results of the talks would make it possible to keep the situation within the remit of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
He said Iran should resume its moratorium on uranium enrichment and continue talks with all sides to reach mutually acceptable agreements.
Lavrov said the upcoming IAEA session on March 6 in Vienna would take into account Iran's progress on meeting the organization's requirements and issues related to the country's nuclear-related activities.
"Russia believes that the [IAEA] report will reflect Iran's performance in meeting IAEA requirements, and [Iran's] progress on the issues related to its past nuclear activities that have not been cleared up yet," Lavrov said.
Russia and Iran are discussing the Russian initiative to set up a joint uranium enrichment venture in Russia, with the possible participation of other countries, in particular China. The position adopted by the Iranian delegation will determine the future of Iran's "nuclear file".
The trio of European nations involved in talks with Tehran (France, the United Kingdom and Germany), along with the board of governors of the UN's nuclear watchdog, and the U.S., want to refer the file to the UN Security Council. The body has the power to impose sanctions, if Tehran is found to be in breach of its international commitments.
The mooted deal with Russia on uranium enrichment is seen as a potential compromise in the crisis around the nuclear programs of the Islamic Republic, which some countries suspect of pursuing a covert weapons program. Although Tehran has consistently said it only wants nuclear power for peaceful purposes, the United States and other nations have concerns, as enriched uranium is a vital component for an atomic bomb.
An emergency session of the IAEA board in early February showed that its approach to Iran's position on uranium enrichment and a full nuclear cycle had become noticeably tougher. The board approved a resolution binding IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei to inform the UN Security Council about Iran's nuclear program and position on cooperation, and about the IAEA's actions on the issue.
