Russia, Syria back Iran nuclear right

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 18:30:06 GMT
Russian president Dimitry Medvedev and his Syrian counterpart say that the Iranian nuclear issue should be resolved through diplomatic means.

In a press conference in Russia's Black Sea resort of Sochi, President Medvedev and President Bashar Assad backed Iran's right to develop nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.  The comments came as the US and Israel, both possessors of nuclear weapons, accuse Iran of pursuing a covert military nuclear program and threaten to attack Tehran over its nuclear drive.  Iran, a signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), insists that its nuclear activities are aimed at peaceful purposes.   The Islamic Republic and the major countries have resumed their talks in a bid to find a way out of the current nuclear standoff.   Tehran has declared that it would continue its cooperation with the UN nuclear agency providing that such cooperation falls within its obligations under the NPT and Safeguard Agreement.  Assad also met Medvedev on Thursday and expressed his support for Moscow in the Caucasus crisis between Russia and Georgia.  The Syrian president said: "We understand the essence of the Russian position and its military response. We believe Russia was responding to the Georgian provocation."  Georgia sent troops into South Ossetia on August 7 in an attempt to regain control over the breakaway region, which has enjoyed de facto independence since 1992. Russian troops reacted by quickly moving into the region and driving out the Georgian forces.  DB/RA

Source: Press TV