If the United Nations Security Council passed the European-drawn resolution
on Iran's nuclear issue without including Russia's amendments, Iran's relations
with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) would be affected, Iran's top
nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani warned in Moscow yesterday.
"We will review our relations with the IAEA if the UN adopts the European
resolution without the amendments proposed by Russia," Larijani, secretary of
the Iranian Supreme National Security Council, was quoted as saying by Interfax
news agency shortly after his arrival in Moscow to start talks with Russian
security and foreign ministry officials.
And even if the Russian amendments were included, the adoption of a UN
resolution "will not make Iran change its mind" about itsnuclear program, he
said.
However, he also said that Iran was carefully studying a package of proposals
made by the six world powers to dissuade Iran from further developing nuclear
technologies on its own, and hoped that the dispute could be solved within the
framework of the proposals.
Larijani announced he would be meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov and with the head of the Russian national security council, Igor Ivanov,
the RIA Novosti news agency reported.
Last week, Russia asked for a major revision of the UN Security Council draft
resolution which proposes sanctions against Iran forits nuclear ambitions.
The draft resolution, drawn by Britain, France and Germany, demanded mandated
nuclear and ballistic-missile-related trade sanctions against Iran. It also
called for a freeze on assets related to Iran's nuclear and missile programs,
and travel bans on scientists involved in those programs.