Putin: Iran has not excluded possibility of uranium enrichment in Russia

Russia's President &to=http://english.pravda.ru/main/18/88/350/16631_Putin.html' target=_blank>Vladimir Putin on Monday urged caution in dealing with the Iranian nuclear program, saying that Tehran might still agree to move its uranium enrichment program to Russia _ a step that could resolve the deadlock over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Putin, speaking after a meeting with German Chancellor &to=http://english.pravda.ru/world/20/91/365/16513_Merkel.html' target=_blank>Angela Merkel, said, "One of the main problems is the enrichment of uranium. We proposed to our Iranian partners to set up a joint enrichment venture on Russian territory. We have heard various opinions from our Iranian partners on that issue. One of them has come from the Foreign Ministry _ our partners told us they did not exclude the implementation of our proposal."

Putin, who is facing Western pressure to support a tougher stance on the Iranian nuclear issue, said Moscow's position is "very close" to that of the U.S. and the European Union. But he added that "it's necessary to work carefully and avoid any sharp, erroneous moves."