Moscow worried by uncertainty surrounding nuclear research in Iran

Moscow is worried by uncertainty surrounding nuclear research underway in Iran.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister and political director in the Group of Eight Georgy Mamedov had a meeting on Tuesday with Iranian Ambassador to Moscow Gholamreza Shafee, the RIA Novosti correspondent learnt from the Press and Information Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry.

They focused on the topical problems -- the non-proliferation of weapons of mass destruction and the struggle against international terrorism. Shafee assured the Russian side of Iran's firm adherence to the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty and informed it of the intensive development of inspection cooperation between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency. He flatly denied Washington's accusations of whatever contacts with international terrorist organizations.

Mamedov voiced concern over the presence of serious yet unclear questions related to nuclear research being done in Iran, pointed to the need of exhaustive discussion of the matter with the IAEA Board of Governors in June and the earliest signing by Iran of an additional protocol to the agreement on guarantees with the IAEA.

A hope for stage-by-stage normalization of Iranian-American relations was also expressed.

The two confirmed agreement reached on the earliest conduct in Tehran of Russian-Iranian consultations on disarmament, non-proliferation and export control.