MOSCOW - Iran's top nuclear negotiator was to
continue talks in Moscow on Saturday, and Russian news agencies reported that he
might meet with President Vladimir Putin.
On Friday, Ali Larijani insisted Tehran would push ahead with its
controversial nuclear program, and suggested it could break off ties with the UN
nuclear watchdog if the world inflicts punishments proposed by European nations.
In a familiar mix of threats and offers, Ali Larijani said Iran wanted
negotiations to ease the mounting standoff over fears it is seeking nuclear
weapons, but that it would not abandon what he insisted was a peaceful nuclear
energy program.
He was to meet again Saturday with Igor Ivanov, the head of Russia's Security
Council. The ITAR-Tass and RIA-Novosti news agencies reported that Putin might
also receive him.
That suggested that Russia was making a strong diplomatic push to get Iran to
shift its position on its nuclear program. Moscow is seeking to revive its
proposal to move Iran's uranium enrichment work to Russian soil to assuage
international concerns that Iran could use the process to develop weapons.
Larijani said Friday that the proposal remains on the table, but there was no
evidence of movement toward Iranian acceptance.
"We want to use our rights under the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and in
this context there will be no retreat, but we are ready for negotiations,"
Larijani said Friday. He said Iran was prepared to renew negotiations with the
European Union's top diplomat, Javier Solana, or to hold talks "in any other
format," according to Russian news agencies.
The European draft resolution that would impose UN
sanctions on Iran "will not promote a political solution of the problem,"
Larijani said. "Those who support adopting the resolution want to aggravate the
problems of the region."
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