MOSCOW, February 16 (Itar-Tass) — In order to continue talks with the Sextet Iran is not ready to suspend building of centrifuges, Iranian ambassador to Russia Mahmoud Reza Sajjadi said.
Speaking at a press conference on Thursday, Sajjadi said, “In my view, all parties know that the Sextet talks should be resumed without any preconditions.”
Commenting on if Tehran suspends centrifuges building to carry out a “step by step” plan on Iran’s nuclear problem, the Iranian ambassador said, “Western countries are indifferent to [Russian Foreign Minister Sergei] Lavrov’s step by step plan. They delay the issue by discussing new sanctions or by wrecking talks.”
On Wednesday, February 15, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Russia voiced concern over progress in Iran’s nuclear program. “Iran really achieved progress in its nuclear programme. Iran restricted its cooperation with the IAEA by the obligations that were reflected in the agreement on guarantees with the IAEA,” the Russian diplomat said.
“This situation is more disquieting for Russia than for many other countries. We are in close proximity of Iran, which possesses nuclear arms. And this is not an option for Russia,” Ryabkov said.
At the same time, the diplomat said, “We must state that the policy, which is now pursued by Tehran, gives no firm and obvious proof of possible military dimensions to Iran’s nuclear program.”
For his part, head of the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran Fereidoun Abbasi Davani said the country put into operation new centrifuges that allowed it to speed up uranium's enrichment. He noted that new centrifuges prevailed over previous installations by three times.
According to the Iranian atomic scientist, “Their installation is a response to the West’s pressure on Iran.”
On the same day Iran began loading nuclear fuel rods into its Tehran research reactor.