Russia optimistic Iran resolution won't hurt their nuke cooperation

Moscow, Dec 24 (UNI) Russia has said the resolution adopted by the UN Security Council to impose sanctions on Tehran for its refusal to halt uranium enrichment will not 'hurt' nuclear cooperation between the two countries.

The final, revised version of the resolution, adopted yesterday, prohibited all programmes related to nuclear weapons, but allowed Iranian officials to travel abroad, and imposed no ban on Iranian companies' international trade.

''The Russian side has managed to uphold its economic interests and ensure the implementation of its earlier signed contracts with Iran, including the construction of a light-water reactor, in Bushehr and the delivery of defence systems Tor-M1 and S-300,'' a source told RIA Novosti news agency today.

The source said the resolution, in its prohibitive part, was clearly focused on the most problematic spheres of Iran's activities, those that were causing the greatest international concern.

The resolution demands freezing this kind of activities so as negotiations could begin to discuss the proposals that were made to Iran by the five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany.

The resolution also incorporated Russian amendment that provides for its enforcement only through non-military measures like sanctions.

''We are satisfied that all the concerns and position of the Russian side on the key problems were taken into account and incorporated in the text of this resolution,'' Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vitaly Churkin said.

''We did a good job but our common victory will be when we manage to solve Iran's nuclear programme through joint political and diplomatic efforts,'' Mr Churkin noted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed with his US counterpart George W Bush the UN Security Council resolution on Iran during telephonic conversation yesterday before the vote.

''The Russian and US Presidents discussed the final stage in the UN Security Council's work on a draft resolution concerning Iran's nuclear programme,'' the Kremlin press service said.

UNI XC KD VC1901