Monday, May 5, 2008
Energized Iran builds more bridges
The spin could be given that at its latest meeting in London on Friday, the "Iran Six" - the five permanent members of the United Security Council and Germany - in grappling with the Iran nuclear problem, advanced in unison the demand for the cessation of uranium-enrichment activities by Tehran. But this would be an untruth. The reality is that the "Iran Six" process looks tired and repetitive. The reality is also that the "Iran Six" is "to try to lure Iran into nuke talks", as the Associated Press reported. The six's other members are the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China.
British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said the proposal to offer Iran incentives to stop its enrichment program is designed to show Tehran "the benefits of cooperating with the international
community". But even as the proposal is yet to be conveyed to Tehran, the Iranian side dictated its contents. Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said in Tehran on Saturday: "At [our] recent meeting in Kuwait with Foreign Secretary David Miliband, he told me the Iran Six intends to send us a letter after the May 2 London meeting. I told him in response: 'You know very well which word is forbidden in Iran. Be careful in your proposals to avoid crossing the forbidden line'."
It is obvious Iran's hectic diplomatic activity has put the "Iran Six" on the defensive. Tehran's nuclear standoff with the West is fast losing momentum. As Moscow expert Igor Tomberg of the elite Institute of World Economy and International Relations put it, at the back of it all lies the realization that "Iran has added energy to the quiver of its military and political arrows. Its advance to the global gas market could disrupt the current balance of interests there." (Asia Times)
Labels: India, Iran, Russia, Switzerland
Saturday, May 3, 2008
Russia says Iranian enrichment freeze is sole demand
Russia on Saturday said that world powers concerned about Iran's nuclear programme were asking Tehran only to suspend uranium enrichment during a period of talks.
Following a meeting on Iran in London of the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said no mention had been made of new sanctions and that Tehran must be made to see the advantages of cooperation.
"Our first conditions are the freezing, suspension of uranium enrichment. The approach of the six (powers) is that Iran should suspend enrichment only for the period in which talks continue," Lavrov told the Interfax and ITAR-TASS news agencies.
"There wasn't anything about new sanctions although our American colleagues take the view that pressure on Iran must be maintained.
"It's necessary to explain to Iran the advantages it would receive from agreeing to start talks, on the basis of one condition -- the freezing of uranium enrichment," Lavrov said. (AFP)
Labels: Iran, Nuclear Power, Russia, Security Council, U.N.
Friday, May 2, 2008
Iran to be offered new incentives
Major world powers are to offer Iran updated incentives to stop enriching uranium and end fears it is seeking a nuclear arsenal.
The agreement on a new package was announced by UK Foreign Secretary David Miliband after talks between foreign ministers in London.
He said no details would be made public before the offer was made to Tehran.
Iran, which says it is seeking civilian nuclear energy, is under UN sanctions for continuing to enrich uranium.
Friday's deal was agreed by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council - the US, Russia, China, the UK and France - plus Germany.
All were represented by their foreign ministers except for China, which sent a deputy minister.
"We are united in our belief that the threat posed by this enrichment programme to stability is very serious and it's one that we want to address directly," Mr Miliband said. (BBC)
Labels: China, France, Iran, Nuclear Power, Russia, U.K., U.N.
Quartet seeks halt to settlements
Members of the Middle East Quartet have called on Israel to freeze the construction of further settlements in the West Bank.
The Quartet "called on Israel to freeze all settlement activity," Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary-general, said on Friday reading from a statement agreed at the meeting of the UN, the US, Russia and the European Union.
The Quartet members met at London on a day donor countries were also scheduled to meet to explore options to tide over the Palestinian economic crisis.
The Quartet members also called on Israel to dismantle outposts erected since March 2001.
Condoleezza Rice, the US secretary of state, speaking at a press conference after the Quartet meeting, said there were now measures in place to help improve the situation in the region.
She said: "It's very difficult to do this in a kind of macro way, or a general way. It comes down to very specific issues, that issue of that checkpoint or that roadblock that's preventing that kind of economic activity in that town ... it gets that specific." (Al Jazeera)
Labels: European Union, Israel, Palestine, Russia, Settlements, U.N., U.S.
Iran moving into the big league
Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad's three-nation tour of Pakistan, Sri Lanka and India and the welter of agreements and understandings reached between Tehran and these governments serve notice beyond the mere issue of energy security and Iran's expanding role in the sub-continent's energy market; rather, these developments signify a new stage in Iran's foreign policy that is best described as "pan-regionalism".
From the Persian Gulf to the Caspian region, the Caucasus, Central Asia, South Asia and beyond, thanks to its unique geographical location, Iran is in many ways an ideal connecting bridge that has not until now fully exploited its advantageous "equidistance" from India and Europe.
Straddled between the two energy hubs of the Persian Gulf and Caspian Sea, Iran is a suitable conduit for trade, energy and non-energy, between the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, which are members of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and the landlocked Central Asian states. The GCC comprises Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Also, with ambitious transportation links projected under the veneer of a "north-south corridor", Iran, Russia and India have conceived new areas of cooperation that connect northern Europe to the Indian Ocean via Iran and the Russian Federation [1] . Already, Iran is an energy exporter to Europe through Turkey, funneling through Turkmenistan's gas and swapping oil with Kazakhstan and Azerbaijan. (Asia Times)
Labels: GCC, India, Iran, Pakistan, Russia, Sri Lanka
Thursday, May 1, 2008
Azeris clear Iran nuclear cargo
Azerbaijan has allowed a Russian cargo of nuclear heat-isolating equipment to cross into Iran after holding it up for a month, Azerbaijani officials say.
The cargo for the nuclear plant Russia is building at Bushehr had been waiting at the border since 29 March as Baku demanded details of its contents.
Russia's state-run nuclear company had insisted the contents were not subject to any special controls.
It is believed the equipment is being carried in a vehicle convoy.
Russia delivered its first shipment of nuclear fuel to Bushehr in December and the plant is due to go into operation this summer.
While the United Nations Security Council has imposed sanctions on Iran for failing to halt uranium enrichment, it has approved the Russian deliveries.
Some Western countries fear oil-rich Iran is trying to build nuclear weapons. Tehran insists its programme is for peaceful power generation only. (BBC)
Labels: Iran, Nuclear Power, Russia
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
IMF spreads power a little wider
The poor have been given a little more say in the International Monetary Fund (IMF)in the biggest change in voting rights since the organization was founded more than 60 years ago.
The reform on Monday reduces the power of the IMF's rich member countries to 57.93% of voting rights from 60.57%. Members had until April 28 to approve the proposal to give developing countries more heft in the institution. Inter Press Service was told that the proposal has been approved with 92.93% of the vote, comfortably more than the minimum of 85% needed for the new division of voting rights to enter into force.
Important IMF members such as Russia and Saudi Arabia voted against the proposal because it meant that their voting weight is reduced.
Developing countries have been complaining for many years that they do not have enough power within the IMF. Nor do many of them believe that the fund is really for their good. For that reason, particularly since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis, some developing countries have amassed enormous financial reserves to make sure that they will not need the IMF any more.
IMF assistance to many countries in need in the past has been given with conditions that have brought long-term damage for short-term relief. The most controversial of these were the Structural Adjustment Programs that the IMF demanded in return for rescue loans. (Asia Times)
Labels: IMF, Russia, Saudi Arabia
Putin promises Iran continuity in relations: RIA
President Vladimir Putin has told Iran's president that there will be continuity in Russia's relations with Tehran, RIA news agency quoted a senior Russian official as saying on Wednesday.
"An oral message from Russian President Vladimir Putin was conveyed to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a meeting," RIA quoted Valentin Sobolev, acting secretary of Russia's National Security Council, as saying in Tehran.
"The substance of it is that Russia confirms the principles of mutual relations (with Iran) and her policy will not depend on who is in power," he said. Putin's successor Dmitry Medvedev will be sworn in as president next month.
Sobolev, who heads a high-level Russian delegation visiting Tehran for discussions on Iran's nuclear program, had talks with Ahmadinejad on Wednesday and said the Iranian president had sent his greetings to both Putin and Medvedev.
Iran has set out a series of proposals to Sobolev that are aimed at ending deadlock over Tehran's disputed nuclear program, RIA said, without giving any details about the proposals. (Reuters)
Monday, April 28, 2008
Iran discusses "serious" nuclear ideas with Russia
Iran has prepared a package of "serious" proposals to help defuse a nuclear row with world powers, chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili said on Monday after talks with a top Russian official.
Iran said this month it would unveil ideas to help end the dispute over its nuclear program, which the West says is aimed at producing nuclear bombs.
Tehran, which insists its atomic program is aimed only at generating electricity, has been hit by three rounds of U.N. sanctions since 2006 for refusing U.N. demands to halt sensitive nuclear work.
"Iran ... has serious proposals regarding the nuclear issue, about what to do to minimize the nuclear threat around the world," Jalili said without giving details of the package.
The proposals were discussed with Valentin Sobolev, acting secretary of Russia's National Security Council, an Iranian official said. Further talks would be held on Tuesday, he added. (Reuters)
Labels: Iran, Nuclear Power, Russia, U.S.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Palestinians tout Moscow peace summit but U.S. lukewarm
Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas told Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday he was optimistic about a Middle East peace summit proposed by Moscow, but Washington struck a more cautious note.
Russia, a mediator in the Middle East, sees a would-be conference it wants to hold in Moscow as a follow-up to a meeting in the U.S. town of Annapolis in November that relaunched peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians.
"We believe the Moscow conference will be successful and help to achieve progress towards the Middle East settlement," Abbas told Putin at the start of their meeting at the Russian leader's residence in Novo-Ogaryovo outside Moscow.
Diplomats said the conference would dominate the men's closed-door talks. (Reuters)
Labels: Israel, Palestine, Russia, U.S.
Russia swaps Libya debt for deals
Russia has agreed to cancel $4.5bn (£2.3bn) of Libyan debt in exchange for major contracts for Russian firms.
The announcement came during a visit to Tripoli on Thursday by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin.
The two countries signed deals on energy co-operation, military assistance and construction of a 500km (310-mile) railway line in Libya.
Libya was a big importer of Soviet weaponry during the Cold War, when it accumulated large debts.
Russia's state gas monopoly Gazprom plans large-scale exploration and production projects with Libya's national energy company. They will include liquefied natural gas installations and gas-fired electricity plants in Libya.
Russia will provide the technology for Libya to build a major rail link between Sirte and Benghazi. Construction is expected to take four years. (BBC)
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Russia to allow Nato Afghan transit
Russia has agreed to allow Nato to use Russian land to deliver non-lethal supplies to alliance troops in Afghanistan, but not troops or air transit arrangements as initially sought by the military alliance.
The deal was announced at a summit between the alliance leaders during which they held talks with Vladimir Putin, Russia's president.
Moscow has been irked by the alliance's eastward expansion and Friday's announcement followed a promise by Nato on Thursday to delay the eventual membership of Ukraine and Georgia until talks in December.
Letters implementing the transit agreement were exchanged between Jaap de Hoop Scheffer, Nato's secretary-general, and Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister.
A Nato spokeswoman said: "It's been done. It will cover land transit of non-lethal equipment. Air transit is not for today." (Al Jazeera)
Labels: Afghanistan, NATO, Russia
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Russia urges Iran to join nuclear talks
Russia's U.N. ambassador urged Iran on Monday to drop its opposition to talks with six key nations trying to ensure that its nuclear program is peaceful, saying the only way to resolve the dispute is through negotiations.
The six countries - the U.S., Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany - have offered Iran a package of political, security and economic incentives if it suspends uranium enrichment, a process that can produce nuclear fuel for a reactor or fissile material for an atomic weapon.
But Iran has refused, sharply criticizing a third round of sanctions imposed March 3 for defying the Security Council's demand to suspend enrichment. Tehran insists its program is intended solely to use atomic power to generate electricity.
Iran says it will deal only with the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N.'s nuclear watchdog. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mohammad Ali Hosseini called the Security Council's demand "worthless and unacceptable" and said it was "based on political motivations." (AP)
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Russia offers help for NATO in Afghanistan - for a price
Russia offered Friday to help out NATO's hard-pressed forces in Afghanistan, Interfax news agency reported, but linked this to the alliance halting membership bids by ex-Soviet Georgia and Ukraine. Speaking ahead of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization's summit next week, Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko told Interfax Moscow was "considering the possibility of deepening" cooperation with NATO in its war against the Taliban in Afghanistan.
The offer appeared to refer to ongoing negotiations over transit for NATO forces through Russia rather than Moscow sending troops - something unlikely given the Soviet Union's traumatic defeat by Afghan insurgents in the 1980s.
However, Grushko warned this would not happen "if each other's lawful security interests are not taken into account," making clear that topping those interests was opposition to NATO expansion.
The statement came ahead of a NATO heads of state gathering in Bucharest on April 2-4, where Afghanistan and expansion will be the main issues. President Vladimir Putin will attend the summit on April 4 for the NATO-Russia Council meeting. (AFP)
Labels: Afghanistan, Russia
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
US, Bahrain sign civilian nuclear deal
The ties between the United States and its close ally Bahrain were further strengthened on Monday when the countries signed a deal on civilian nuclear cooperation. Bahrain also signed the US and Russian-backed Global Initiative to Combat Nuclear Terrorism meant to prevent terrorists from acquiring nuclear weapons.
In a statement released by the State Department, the agreement was praised as part of the US desire to cooperate with states in the Middle East that are interested in nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Bahrain has decided to forgo the sensitive nuclear enrichment process needed to create nuclear fuel and instead import its fuel. (JPost)
Labels: Bahrain, Nuclear Power, Russia, U.S.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Egypt to sign nuclear pact with Russia
Russia and Egypt are expected to sign a civilian nuclear cooperation agreement this week that will boost Cairo's efforts to join a string of Sunni countries keen on developing nuclear potential and that government officials in Jerusalem believe is intended in part to offset Iran's nuclear program.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak traveled to Moscow for a two-day visit Monday, and the Russian wire service RIA Novosti quoted Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit as saying that the agreement would be signed during the visit.
The news service quoted Gheit as saying, "This agreement will enable Egypt to use Russia's extensive experience in the peaceful use of nuclear energy." According to the report, a source in Egypt's Electricity and Energy Ministry said earlier that the document would lay the foundation for nuclear energy cooperation between Egypt and Russia and would strengthen relations between Russian companies and Egypt. However, the report said, the agreement would not automatically mean that Russian companies would build nuclear power plants in Egypt. (JPost)
Friday, March 21, 2008
Israel, Russia finalize deal on supply of armored vehicles to PA (Haaretz)
Israel has agreed to allow Russia to supply the Palestinian Authority security services in the West Bank with Russian-made armored vehicles, Haaretz has learned.
Late last year, a political brouhaha erupted over reports of a deal in principle between Israel and Russia whereby Jerusalem agreed to the transfer of armored vehicles to the Palestinian Authority. Right-wing lawmakers bitterly criticized Olmert for the decision.
The deal was also held up due to Israel's objections to Palestinian intentions to affix automatic machine guns to the vehicles.
During Thursday's meeting between Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and the visiting Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Russia accepted the Israeli demand that the vehicles not be mounted with machine guns as was originally planned. Palestinian police officers will be permitted to carry small arms only. (Link)
Labels: Israel, Palestine, Russia
Russian FM in West Bank: Gaza blockade unacceptable (AP)
Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said Friday during a visit to the West Bank city of Ramallah that Israel should end the blockade of the Gaza Strip and halt all settlement activity.
After meeting with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, Lavrov told a press conference that the blockade, imposed by Israel and Egypt after Hamas seized control of Gaza in June, is unacceptable.
Lavrov added that Russia was very much concerned about Israeli construction on land the Palestinians claim for a future state. "We call for an immediate halt to settlement activity," he said. (Haaretz)
Labels: Israel, Palestine, Russia
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Moscow proposes Middle East talks (Al Jazeera)
Sergei Lavrov, Russia's foreign minister, and Bashar al-Assad, Syria's president, have discussed the possibility of Moscow hosting a Middle East peace conference.
They also spoke about the political crisis in Lebanon, where Syria was the dominant political and military force for decades, during Thursday's meeting in the Syrian capital Damascus.
Andrei Zaitsew, a Russian embassy spokesman, said the talks covered "Middle East problems, particularly Lebanon, and the possibility of holding a peace conference in Moscow".
Ties between the countries a have strengthened in recent months with Moscow delivering air defence weapons to Damascus.
Russia said it aims to hold a peace meeting to revive the Israeli-Palestinian peace process, which was kickstarted in November at a US conference in the city of Annapolis. (Link)
Labels: Israel, Palestine, Russia, Syria
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