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Iran’s N-plan on Putin’s agenda

DUBAI: Russian President Vladimir Putin is set to visit Iran as scheduled, despite reports of an assassinate plot. Mr. Putin would take part in a summit involving heads of the countries straddling the resource rich Caspian Sea.

He would also hold bilateral discussions with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in Tehran. He would be the first Russian President to arrive in Iran, after Joseph Stalin, who visited Tehran in 1943.

Mr. Putin is visiting Iran at a time when the Americans have been trying to deepen Iran’s economic isolation through sanctions. Tensions between Iran and the United States have also spiralled because of an American military build up in the Gulf.

Departing from the U.S. approach, Mr. Putin stressed at the press conference that coercion against Iran will not work. “It is futile to frighten Iran and its people. They are not scared.” Instead, he advocated a peaceful resolution of the dispute over Iran’s nuclear research. He added that discussions on the nuclear programme were on the agenda during his visit.

In Iran, Foreign Ministry spokesman, Mohammad-Ali Hosseini said on Monday that he would have “pleasant news” about Iran’s nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr. Built with Russian support, the commissioning of this plant has suffered repeated delays so far.

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