Russia Supports Bush Policy

Russia's Atomic Energy Minister, Aleksandr Rumyantsev, said that he supports "every point" of U.S. President George W. Bush's speech on tougher international action to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Asked whether Bush's speech applied to Russia's nuclear cooperation with Iran, Rumyantsev said: "Without a doubt, the United States criticizes us and thinks we shouldn't cooperate with Iran. However, in cooperating with Iran, we are not violating any international laws, and we do not agree that we have to get out of this market."

Bush's speech, Rumyantsev said, was about transfers of technology that can be used to make weapons, which he called "a completely different direction." As to U.S. fears that four or five years after nuclear transfer to Iran, Iran will have enough nuclear fuel to withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty unilaterally, Rumyantsev said, "theoretically such a possibility exists, but then the...international community will react immediately."