#6 - RW 263
Kremlin aide reiterates Russia's stance on Iran, North Korea
ITAR-TASS

London, 26 June: Russian President Vladimir Putin and British Prime Minister Tony Blair are to discuss today nuclear issues of Iran and North Korea and also the Iraqi problem within the framework of the state visit of the Russian leader to the UK, Sergey Prikhodko, deputy head of the Kremlin administration, has told ITAR-TASS.

He said that following the recent meeting of the IAEA Board of Governors "the situation surrounding Iran is becoming less acute, though there still are attempts to aggravate the situation". "The results of the IAEA meeting are crucial to Russia. The IAEA is an international mechanism for resolving debatable issues in relation to Iran," Prikhodko said. The [Russian] president has warned more than once "against using the nuclear issue in order to start unhealthy competition on the Iranian market".

Speaking about the nuclear problem of North Korea, Prikhodko said that "there is no such mechanism for North Korea as the IAEA's control in relation to Iran". "However, our approach to the North Korean issue should be as responsible," he added.

The Kremlin draws attention to Putin's statement that the problem "should be settled by way of talks, taking into account interests and concerns of North Korea".

The situation surrounding Iraq will be another important topic for discussion. Prikhodko said that "the principles of the postwar restoration of Iraq, the UN's role in this process, trade and economic issues and the Iraqi debt" will also be discussed [by Putin and Blair].

Prikhodko said that "the positions of the two sides on these issues are becoming closer to each other".

Putin said at his press conference in the Kremlin [on 20 June] that it was his contacts with the British prime minister that had played an important role in working out a compromise resolution of the UN Security Council on Iraq.

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