21 июня 2007 Года
June 21, 2007. LAVROV CLARIFIES RUSSIAN POSITION ON RADAR STATION IN AZERBAIJAN Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov does not see any security threat coming from Iran and has expressed regret over the fact that the United States has used it as a pretext to install a missile defense system in Eastern Europe.
According to Lavrov, any worries that the United States have in regards to Iran can be relieved simply by analyzing the information dispatched online from the Russian radar station in Gabala, Azerbaijan.
Lavrov also expressed concern that the establishment of a missile defense system by the United States in Eastern Europe could trigger a new arms race. He emphasized that this is the reason that Russia is opposed to the system. “The offer to use the radar station in Azerbaijan, which has long proven its functionality, is aimed precisely at making these plans (to build a missile defense system in Eastern Europe) unnecessary,” commented Lavrov.
He added that the current U.N. resolution aimed at placing sanctions on Iran would be approved only if the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) deemed further cooperation with Teheran impossible. He also confirmed Russia’s intentions to fulfill its contractual obligations for building a nuclear reactor in Bushehr, Iran for peaceful purposes, adding that this would be done only “in compliance with all regulations and guarantees provided by the IAEA.”
“But…this is a two way street, and both sides must fulfill their obligations,” emphasized Lavrov. He added that soon representatives from both sides would meet to discuss progress on the nuclear reactor at Bushehr.
Translated by Artem V. Zagorodnov
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