Russia, Iran to Hold Nuke Talks

[DP]

I feel safer already.<br>
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<!--EZCODE QUOTE START--><blockquote><strong><em>Quote:</em></strong><hr>MOSCOW - Russia and Iran will hold talks in Moscow on Monday on Russia's offer to enrich uranium for Tehran, the Russian Embassy in the Iranian capital was quoted as saying Wednesday.<br>
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The Iranian government informed Russian officials about their intention to participate in the negotiations on Feb. 20 — four days later than originally planned, the ITAR-Tass news agency quoted an embassy official as saying.<br>
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"The Russian side has agreed to this," the Russian diplomat said on condition of anonymity.<br>
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Moscow has offered to host Iranian enrichment in Russia, where it would have better oversight — a proposal meant to ease an international standoff over Tehran's nuclear program. The two sides had set Feb. 16 as a date for talks in Moscow.<br>
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But after the International Atomic Energy Agency reported Iran to the U.N. Security Council on Feb. 4, Tehran suspended some cooperation with the U.N. watchdog agency and said it resumed small-scale enrichment of uranium — a process that some fear could lead to the production of nuclear bombs.<br>
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On Monday, Tehran abruptly postponed the talks in Moscow, but a day later, officials in Iran said they had requested a new date: Monday.<br>
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Interfax quoted Russian Embassy official Vyacheslav Moshkalo as saying that the postponement had no particular significance and had been overblown by the media.<br>
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"I don't see anything extraordinary in this delay," Moshkalo said. "There was a lot of fuss about nothing."<br>
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In Moscow, Russia's Foreign Ministry said it could not immediately confirm the date for the talks.<br>
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Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in Vienna for talks with senior EU officials, reiterated Moscow's opposition to sanctions against Iran, saying Wednesday that he did not believe that "in the case of Iran sanctions will achieve something," Interfax reported.<br>
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A leading Russian lawmaker, Konstantin Kosachev, warned Tuesday that time was running out for Iran to respond to the offer, which is meant to establish international oversight of Iran's nuclear fuel production and ensure it can't be misused to make weapons.<br>
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Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russia's Atomic Energy Agency, will travel to Iran next week to visit the Bushehr nuclear power plant Russia is building, Interfax reported, citing his office.<br>
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Last year, Iran and Russia signed a nuclear fuel agreement that paved the way for the 1,000-megawatt power plant to go online by mid-2006. The contract is valued at more than $800 million.<br>
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Russia, a traditional ally of Iran, backed referral to the U.N. Security Council only on condition that the council take up the issue no earlier than March, and it opposed the U.S. push for international sanctions against Iran.<hr></blockquote><!--EZCODE QUOTE END--><br>
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“Blessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight” (Psalm 144:1)</p><i></i>

[sherrimae]

I think Iran and Russia are just dragging things out with more talks. Iran keeps stalling for more time. We are way past the point where more talking will do any good. <p></p><i></i>