Pittsburgh: Russia is "worried" about
Iran`s second uranium enrichment plant, a spokeswoman for
President Dmitry Medvedev said today, promising a presidential
statement later in the day.
"The president will make special statement on the latest
announcement by Iran, which worries us," Medvedev`s
spokeswoman Natalya Timakova said, speaking at the Group of 20
summit in Pittsburgh.
The Russian response followed an announcement by the
United States, Britain, France and Germany on Friday demanding
immediate access to a previously secret Iranian nuclear site
and threatening to impose tough new sanctions on Tehran.
US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas
Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown stood together
at the summit to reveal that Iran had admitted to the UN
nuclear watchdog that it had built a second uranium
enrichment plant.
"We expect the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency)
to immediately investigate this disturbing information and to
report to the IAEA board of governors," Obama said, branding
the new plant a "direct challenge" to international
non-proliferation rules.
Meanwhile, Italy also backed international
criticism of a new atomic site revealed in Iran and called on
Tehran to disclose details of its nuclear programme.
"Italy supports the declaration of the leaders of the
United States, the United Kingdom and France on the new
uranium enrichment plant in Iran," the Italian government said
in a statement.
"Italy is opposed to Iran developing a nuclear military
programme and calls on Tehran to clarify its nuclear
programme" in line with International Atomic Energy Agency
demands, Italy said.
Rome also urged Tehran to "demonstrate in a practical
fashion its willingness to deal with nuclear questions and
other delicate subjects" at negotiations with world powers in
Geneva which start on October 1.
US President Barack Obama, French President Nicolas
Sarkozy and British Prime Minister Gordon Brown disclosed
earlier on Friday that Iran had admitted to the UN nuclear
watchdog having built a second uranium enrichment plant.
They called on Iran to open the plant to UN inspections
and threatened tough sanctions if Tehran failed to comply.
Obama said the secret facility had been built inside a
mountain near the holy city of Qom, 160 kilometres (100 miles)
south of Tehran. The country`s first plant is at Natanz.
Bureau Report
