Russia ready for Iran sanctions
2009-11-14 12:09
Moscow - Russia is ready to support sanctions against Iran over its disputed nuclear programme, the daily Kommersant said on Saturday citing sources in the administration of President Dmitry Medvedev.
"Recently our sources in the presidential administration are saying more often" that Moscow is "100% ready" to support sanctions against Iran, the newspaper wrote.
The international community has been ratcheting up pressure on Iran as the country ponders a UN-brokered proposal that could help remove tensions over its nuclear programme.
According to the newspaper, "the last word on the eventual adoption of sanctions rests with the Russian and American presidents", Mevedev and Barack Obama, who were set to meet on Sunday on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific summit in Singapore.
"They won't only talk about the situation around the Iranian nuclear programme, but could also decide when sanctions should be imposed," said the newspaper.
Sceptical
Russia and China, both permanent UN Security Council members, have been sceptical about tightening sanctions on Iran.
But there is mounting impatience in the West, with world powers still waiting for Tehran to respond to an offer brokered by the UN nuclear watchdog last month which would see states including Russia help Iran enrich uranium.
Iran's transfer of the uranium abroad for enrichment into fuel would help allay concerns among Western nations that Iran is trying to develop a nuclear weapon under cover of its civilian nuclear energy programme.
Like Iran, Russia has said there is no evidence to support these accusations. But it has also urged Tehran to show maximum transparency and cooperate with the international community.
Medvedev has given carefully worded statements hinting that tougher sanctions cannot be ruled out.
- SAPA