Russia has consistently supported the right of countries to develop nuclear energy, and has come under criticism from other nuclear powers over its cooperation with Iran, where Russians are building the country’s first nuclear power plant. Sergei Kiriyenko, speaking at an international conference in Luxembourg on preventing nuclear catastrophes, stressed the importance of two unconditional rights: „On the one hand, any country should have access to civilian nuclear energy, and on the other the international community should make sure that security and non-proliferation guarantees are observed.”
Trying to stop other countries from developing nuclear power „is becoming impossible, both from a legal and a moral point of view,” he said. At the start of the conference, Kiriyenko read out an address from Russian President Vladimir Putin. The president described the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as a cornerstone of international security and stability, and said Moscow had been honoring its disarmament commitments under the treaty. Putin, who concluded his visit to Vienna earlier Thursday, will attend the Luxembourg conference later in the day. Kiriyenko also highlighted Russia’s decommissioning of its materials for nuclear fission bombs, under its NPT commitments.
The dispute over Iran’s nuclear program, which some states believed is geared towards developing nuclear weapons, took a new twist on the weekend when the head of the UN nuclear watchdog publicly admitted that it was too late to force Tehran to fold up its uranium enrichment plans as demanded by the United Nations Security Council, and argued instead for inspection measures to prevent a further expansion of the Iranian nuclear program. Following his remarks the United States, which has consistently pressed for harsh sanctions against the Islamic Republic, said it would lodge a complaint against ElBaradei, citing concerns that his comments could undermine UN Security Council efforts. European nations have signaled their backing for Washington’s position. (en.rian.ru)
Producing journalism that is worthy of the name is a costly business. For over 30 years, the publishers, editors and reporters of the Budapest Business Journal have striven to bring you business news that works, information that you can trust, that is factual, accurate and presented without fear or favor.Newspaper organizations across the globe have struggled to find a business model that allows them to continue to excel, without compromising their ability to perform. Most recently, some have experimented with the idea of involving their most important stakeholders, their readers.
We would like to offer that same opportunity to our readers. We would like to invite you to help us deliver the quality business journalism you require. Hit our Support the BBJ button and you can choose the how much and how often you send us your contributions.
