Russia will continue its nuclear cooperation with Iran but will insist that its nuclear programs come under international control, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Tuesday. "Iran is our neighbour, we cooperate with it and we will continue to to cooperate," he said at a Group of Eight (G8) summit in France.
"In parallel we will insist that all Iran's nuclear programs remain under the control of the IAEA," the UN's nuclear watchdog, the Russian leader added.
Earlier, a British newspaper said Putin suspended the sale of all nuclear material to Iran in a move to allow the world's eight most powerful nations to present a united front against the spread of nuclear weapons.
According to The Independent, Putin's announcement cleared the way for the G8 summit in Evian to issue a public warning to Iran and North Korea.
One British official was quoted as saying: "It is now the international consensus that the issue of weapons of mass destruction did not disappear with Saddam Hussein."
Iran has been told it must immediately open its nuclear program to "comprehensive examination" by the International Atomic Energy Agency. (Albawaba.com)
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