NEW ROUND OF US-IRAN TALKS CRUCIAL FOR RUSSIA
Andrei Areshev
en.fondsk.ru
26.02.2009
Iran’s Defense Minister Mostafa Mohammad Najjar visited Moscow on 15-17
February to start implementation of Tehran`s new foreign policy. Also
in February German ex-Chancellor Gerhard Schröder arrived in Iran to
discuss not only economic and energy issues but a general strategy of
cooperation between Berlin, Brussels and Tehran. A delegation from
Iran, headed by a vice president, visited Kabul occupied by NATO
forces. Iranian Foreign Minister came to Baku to discuss cooperation
between Tehran and Yerevan on a whole range of political and economic
issues. Apart from this, Kazakhstan opened its consulate in northern
Iran…
This foreign policy course aimed to break US-led startegic occupation
of Iran and Tehran`s intentions to stand up for its interests in the
region have brought some progress already. Russia welcomes Iran`s
participation in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), says
Russian Deputy Foriegn Minister Alexei Borodavkin. The West keeps
close eye on Tehran`s ties with foriegn countries and makes some
notable remarks. The Obama administration has softened its anti-Iranian
rhetoric, while NATO Secretary General Jaap de Hoop Scheffer has even
promised Iran a right to play its role in stabilization in Afghanistan.
Of course, this all can be nothing but an attempt to get Tehran
involved in Afghan campaign in accordan ce with the Western scenario
of permanent ‘low intensity conflicts’ between Iran and all its
neighbors. However, Tehran will hardly accept the rules invented by
the U.S…
On 3 February, addressing religious minorities of Iran, President
Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeatedly announced that there was no such
country in the world which could prevent Iran from implementation
of its tasks. He also unveiled his country`s plans to launch some
ambitious military programs, including the construction of an unmanned
aircraft. In view of this, Mostafa Najar`s visit to Moscow took on
a special meaning. Judging from his speech after the negotiations,
we may conclude that the minister discussed not only issues of
military-technical cooperation but also the details of energy
partnership (including Iran`s particiaption in a ‘gas OPEC’ and
construction of an atomic power plant in Bushehr). While in Moscow,
Mr. Najar said vast oil and gas resources Russia and Iran can boast
give the two countries brilliant chances for cooperation. It sounds
fair since Russia and Iran are taking the lead on the global gas
market. "Thus our cooperation in gas industry may satisfy demands of
both producers and consumers worldwide", Mr. Najar believes. "That
is why we consider a ‘gas OPEC’ an issue worth attention today,
and we have already achieved some progress here", he added.
Iranian Deputy Oil Minister Djashnsaz reported that the National
Iranian Oil Company an d one of the world’s leading energy companies,
German E.ON, had intensified talks on joint production of liquefied
natural gas and development of new gas fields. He also told journalists
that on 19 February E.ON officials visited the 2d and the 3d units
of a gas plant in the South Pars natural gas field and unveiled some
details of future cooperation. First of all, E.ON aims to invest in
the Iran LNG liquefied gas project and in some other Iranian gas
fields. The South Pars natural gas field is one of the milestones
of Russia-Iran energy cooperation, and a sign of a long-term energy
alliance between Moscow and Tehran and with active participation of the
EU. Turkey and Armenia may be join the project as transit countries.
Naturally, this leaves Washington very few chances to lobby its energy
projects in the region aimed at using Azerbaijan and Georgia as the
so-called ‘Caucasus communication corridor’.
At first sight, US attempts to please Tehran seemed
unexpected. Washington implies it could revise its missile plans in
Eastern Europe if Moscow demonstrated a more ‘constructive’ stance on
Iran’s nuclear program. During his recent visit to Moscow, U.S. Under
Secretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns said that
if US cooperation with Russia and other partners diminished or even
removed Iran`s nuclear threat, Washington would be ready to revise
its missile plans.
Moscow reacted promptly by saying it appreciated po sitive signals
coming from US and expected a new round of productive bilateral
anti-missile defense cooperation. After that we see eye-catching
headlines in the Internet: "Russia-US missile talks depend on Iran",
"A deeper dialog between Russia and US on missile issue may begin
as soon as there is enough evidence of peaceful character of the
Iranian nuclear program"… But do the journalists really believe that
relations between Moscow and the "peace keeper" Obama could improve
if the Americans with their 1 trillion Security Budget had no fears
about Iran`s missiles (their radius of destruction being not more
than 2,000 kilometers)?
What was the aim of such methods? Do they really believe that Obama,
unlike his predecessor, is ready for an open and constructive dialog
or just invented those headlines to conceal their true expectations
concerning Tehran?
Why the world turns a blind eye on the idea of a non-nuclear Middle
East?
Why it is being ignored amid the current political situation in
Israel, where radical factions are very likely to ascend to power
(Israel`s influential Yediot Aharonot newspaper already called Iran
a major threat to the Jewish state in 2009), amid growing instability
in Afghanistan and Pakistan and during the implementation of US secret
program to sabotage Iranian nuclear program?
Is it possible that the statements made by US officials are aimed
at cheating Mo scow and Tehran (and some other countries)? Are they
trying to make Russia believe that Washington may revise its missile
plans in Poland and Czech Republic?
Likelihood is rather big. In view of this, Russia should analyze
the importance of the current situation not only for its bilateral
cooperation with US but also for its own future. Of course, we must
do it if we see Russia as a sovereign country and not a puppet state.