Putin: UN agency should take Iran lead
(AP)
Updated: 2005-12-07 10:10

The U.N. nuclear watchdog should continue dealing with the crisis over Iran's nuclear program, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday, urging Tehran to keep its obligations.

Russia has resisted U.S. efforts to bring Tehran before the U.N. Security Council over its alleged nuclear weapons program, insisting that the disputes be resolved through the International Atomic Energy Agency. Russia is building a nuclear reactor in Iran.

"We believe that the IAEA potential in settling all problems related to the Iranian nuclear dossier is far from being exhausted," Putin said after talks with India's Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

Putin also voiced hope that Iranians "observe their obligations, including those they have taken unilaterally."

While Iran has frozen its uranium enrichment program under international pressure, it restarted uranium conversion �� a step toward enrichment �� in August.

The United States and European Union want Iran to permanently halt uranium enrichment. A compromise plan proposes moving Iranian enrichment to Russia to make sure that it is done only to fuel levels, not for possible use in atomic weapons.

Iran, however, insists it wants to master the complete fuel cycle domestically.

"Russia will continue to help develop the dialogue between our Iranian partners and the other interested parties," Putin said.