We have “no grounds to suspect Iran of seeking to possess nuclear weapons,” Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in an interview with CNN’s Larry King.
“Our position is open, and Iran knows it. We will continue to cooperate with all participants in this process until the complete solution to this problem,” the prime minister said answering a question about whether Russia shares the concerns of other countries that Iran is moving towards becoming a nuclear power.
According to Putin, “Iran has been implementing its nuclear programme for twenty years now and of late, in recent years, Iran has in one way or another indicated its readiness to engage in dialogue with the international community and with the IAEA. Yes, we are aware that questions remain concerning the early stages of the programme and we share the IAEA’s desire for exhaustive answers.”
“You will, of course, know that we are concerned about any indication of proliferation, about any possibility, even if it is a theoretical possibility for the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This applies to absolutely all states, including Iran. At the same time we have no grounds for suspecting Iran of seeking to possess nuclear weapons. But we are cooperating with all our partners, including the United States, within the framework of the United Nations,” said the Russian prime minister.
“As you know, so far we have managed to agree on the decisions taken. Our position is open and Iran is aware of it. We will continue to cooperate with all participants in this process until the problem is entirely resolved. I very much hope that this resolution will transpire. I think this is in the interests not only of Iran’s neighbour, Israel, which has great fears about nuclear programmes, and the other parties involved in this process but also those of Iran and the Iranian people,” Putin said.
The RF prime minister also noted, “I see nothing reprehensible, nothing that infringes upon Iran’s national interests, in it opening up all its programmes and responding adequately to the legitimate interest that the international specialist agency, the IAEA, has taken in its work. I see nothing to fear here, but at the same time I am still of the opinion that Iran has the right to pursue nuclear programmes under the supervision of international organisations.”
In the interview broadcast on Wednesday evening, Vladimir Putin also spoke of the threat of an arms race, as well as his thoughts about the recent disclosure of US diplomatic cables by the whistle-blowing site Wikileaks. The conversation quickly turned to Wikileaks, the whistle-blowing website that is in the process of releasing thousands of US diplomatic cables from American embassies around the world. The incident has turned into a major embarrassment for Washington, which is now in damage-control mode with nations around the world. Asked by talk show host Larry King about one of the released cables that compares Prime Minister Putin and President Dmitry Medvedev to the “Batman and Robin” crime-fighting duo, Putin said the caricature was “aimed to slander one of us.” He then went on to express his surprise at the “unethical” treatment he has received. “The truth of the matter is, this is about our interaction, which is an important factor of the domestic policies in this country,” Putin added. “But to be honest with you, we didn't suspect that this would be done with such arrogance, with such a push and, you know, being so unethically done.” Playing down the significance of the leaks, Putin told King: “Leaks such as this one have happened before, which is why I don't see any catastrophe in this [situation].
When asked about the condition of democracy in Russia, Putin reminded King hat Russia also has deep concerns about particular US political traditions.