New York Times - 02.19.2002

 

The New York Times

Russia Says It Needs to Work on Iran Ties; Visit Off

By REUTERS

Filed at 12:34 p.m. ET

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Iran abruptly put off a visit by its foreign minister to Moscow Tuesday, and Russia said there were issues in the two countries' relations that need to be "worked out.''

It was the first indication of hesitancy in Moscow's traditionally friendly ties with Tehran since President Bush lumped Iran with Iraq and North Korea as members of an "axis of evil'' in a speech last month.

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told Reuters in Tehran that Kamal Kharrazi's visit had been postponed because of difficulties in organization, giving no further details.

But Russia's Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Yakovenko said in a brief statement that the reason for the delay was ''the need to work out certain questions of bilateral cooperation.''

The cancellation was remarkably abrupt. Monday, hours before he was due in Moscow, Kharrazi discussed the agenda for talks at a news conference in Tehran, saying Bush's "axis of evil'' remarks would be discussed.

Russia's Foreign Minister Igor Ivanov and Kharrazi spoke by telephone after the visit was postponed, Asefi said, adding Ivanov had said "he was very eager for this visit to take place soon.''

RUSSIA, IRAN DENY WEAPONS TECHNOLOGY LEAKS

Washington has long accused Russia of leaking technology to Iran that it says could be used to develop nuclear weapons, and has turned up the heat on Moscow since the September 11 suicide attacks to curb technology transfers.

Russia is helping Iran to build a nuclear power plant. But Moscow and Tehran say the plant is civilian, and does not violate any rules barring the spread of weapons technology.

Iran's ambassador to Moscow, Mehdi Safari, discussed disarmament and non-proliferation with Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Georgy Mamedov Monday, the ministry said.

U.S. Undersecretary of State for Arms Control and International Security John Bolton was also in Moscow for scheduled arms talks, and met Mamedov.

It was not immediately clear if they discussed Iran. At a news conference, Bolton declined to comment on the postponement of Kharrazi's trip.

Bush's "axis of evil'' remarks enraged officials in the three countries he singled out, and worried U.S. allies in Canada and Europe. But Moscow, which backs Washington's post-September 11 anti-terrorism campaign, has been muted in its response.

In an interview last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin echoed European leaders' warnings against unilateral U.S. military action against Iraq, and said he did not agree with the idea of setting up "blacklists'' of countries.

For years, Russia has considered mainly Shi'ite Muslim Iran as its key strategic ally in countering Sunni Islamic militancy spreading from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

Moscow and Tehran worked together to support the Northern Alliance fighting the Sunni militant Taliban, at a time when the Taliban were backed by Pakistan, the region's main U.S. ally.