Russian delegation to hold security talks in Iran

MOSCOW-A high-ranking Russian Security Council official will hold talks with senior Iranian officials in Tehran on Monday.

The Russian delegation headed by acting Security Council secretary Valentin Sobolev is also due to meet with the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, Saeed Jalili, as a follow up to the secretary's visit to Moscow in December 2007.

The officials will discuss «bilateral cooperation in security, as well as topical international and regional issues», Iran's Security Council said in an official statement.

The sides are also expected to discuss the Iranian nuclear program, as well as the situation in the Middle East, a source close the negotiations told RIA Novosti.

A delegation from the International Atomic Energy Agency, led by its deputy director general, Olli Heinonen, will also arrive in Tehran on Monday to continue talks on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program started last week.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Iran was prepared to try and reach an agreement with any country over its nuclear program, but will not stop its development of peaceful atomic energy despite outside pressure.

The international community has demanded that Tehran halt uranium enrichment, used both in electricity generation and nuclear weapons production. Iran insists on its right to civilian nuclear energy, and has defied three sets of United Nations sanctions over its nuclear program.

Iran, however, announced this month it was installing another 6,000 uranium enrichment centrifuges at its underground facility in Natanz in addition to the current 3,000. The country also announced tests of advanced enrichment centrifuges, along with plans to build a second uranium processing plant by next March.

The country's nuclear ambitions have fueled tensions with Washington, with U.S. President George Bush refusing late last year to rule out military action against Tehran.

Russia and China, which both have strong business interests in Iran, blocked stronger measures against the country using their vetoes at the UN Security Council.

28/04/2008, the International Herald Tribune

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