Russia rejects secret nuclear deal with Iran

Moscow, Mar 10: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today denied that Moscow had reached an agreement with Tehran to enrich uranium on its territory.

''During our meeting in Washington, the US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice thanked me for briefing her on the latest Russian-Iranian contacts and complained that the American press was abuzz with allegations regarding Russia's 'compromise' on Iran's research programme ahead of my March 7 meeting with her,'' he told reporters in Algiers, ahead of the first visit of President Vladimir Putin to Algeria, ITAR-TASS quoted him as saying.

''It prompted her to ask me to deny these allegations at a news conference. I had no difficulty denying these allegations because any speculation on some Russian secret proposals is wrong,'' Mr Lavrov said.

''Such proposal just does not exist. We have informed the IAEA Director General, the European 'group of three', China and the United States about our contacts with Iranians,'' he added.

UNI