'Iran's position on nuclear programme indefensible'

Moscow, March 13: Stressing that Iran's position on its nuclear programme was 'indefensible', a top leader of the State Duma, Russia's Lower House of parliament, today (Mar 13, 2006) said sanctions against Iran would be a proper response.

''There are no grounds for anyone, including Russia, to defend Iran's position,'' Konstantin Kosachev, the chairman of the State Duma International Affairs Committee said.

''We should discuss an appropriate plan of coordinated action for the international community,'' he added.

''Economic sanctions against Iran, which many countries suspect of seeking to build nuclear weapons under the cover of civilian research, would be a proper response,'' RIA Novosti news agency quoted Mr Kosachev as saying.

He pointed out that it was not Moscow's problem that Iran had rejected the Russian proposal to enrich uranium on Russian soil for Iran, a proposal designed to allay fears of the international community that Tehran might use nuclear fuel for weapons production.

''Russia was the only country that made constructive proposals, rather than pressurizing Iran,'' he noted.

Iran yesterday said it was no longer considering the Russian proposal and intended to carry out large-scale uranium enrichment.

Mr Kosachev made it clear that Iran had technically not violated the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which stipulated countries' rights to a civilian nuclear programme and which allowed Russia to advance its proposals.

However, the head of Russia's Federal Nuclear Power Agency, Sergei Kiriyenko today said Moscow's proposal still remained valid on condition that Iran adhered to the demands put forward by the IAEA and reimposed moratorium on uranium enrichment.

''Our proposal remains in force, but only as part of a comprehensive approach,'' Mr Kiriyenko said.

The official spokesman for the Russian Foreign Ministry Mikhial Kamynin also said today that Moscow had not changed its position on the Iranian nuclear programme and its proposal on a uranium enrichment joint venture remained in force.

''We did not withdraw our proposal and our position remains unchanged right now,'' Mr Kamynin told Interfax news agency.

UNI