Describing the Islamic republic as a difficult neighbor,
Mikhail Margelov, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Federation
Council of Russia, or upper Parliament chamber, said Moscow had no hidden
agenda in building and supplying fuel to Iran's first nuclear power plant.
Russia's role at the plant, inaugurated last month near the
Gulf city of Bushehr, was aimed at securing Iranian compliance with the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN body that seeks to counter
nuclear proliferation, he said.
"We do not have any illusions about the character of
the Iranian regime at all," he told a Geneva meeting of the International
Institute of International Studies think tank.
"That is why, if we cooperate with Iran in the field of
nuclear energy when we do Bushehr, this is how we try to keep these guys
playing by the rules of the IAEA."
"This is the only legal mechanism to keep them
cooperating with the international institutions."
Western countries fear Iran is seeking to develop nuclear
weapons but Tehran rejects the accusation, saying its atomic activities are
peaceful and aimed at generating electricity.
To ease proliferation concerns, Russia will take back spent
rods that could be used to make weapons-grade plutonium.
Margelov suggested a delicate factor in the Kremlin's
approach to Iran was concern about potential subversion among Russia's Muslim
minorities.
"We have to play chess with them. We do not believe, in
our oriental policy, in playing rugby," he said.
"They are our neighbor -- our difficult neighbor -- and
believe me through the 1990s we still do not know how many Islamic sport camps
have they deployed in Tatarstan, Bashkortostan and the Caucasus."
"It's difficult to do politics in the Oriental
countries, and we know that."
The Kremlin is struggling to contain a growing insurgency in
its North Caucasus region. Chechen rebel leader Doku Umarov this month called
on militants in heavily Muslim Tatarstan and Bashkortostan, in central Russia
where there has been very little violence linked to militants, to conduct
attacks.
Iran remains under intense international pressure to stop
uranium enrichment, something the West says it no longer needs to do as it can
acquire nuclear fuel from abroad.
Moscow is also struggling to balance trade ties with Tehran
and warmer relations with the United States, which is eager for Kremlin support
to rein in Iranian nuclear activities.
Tehran's refusal to cease enrichment has resulted in a
series of UN sanctions and tougher unilateral measures by the United States,
the European Union and elsewhere.
In a report earlier this month, the IAEA said that Iran was
pressing on with its nuclear programme in defiance of the sanctions and
hampering the UN nuclear watchdog's work by barring some inspectors.
Iran has voiced anger over Moscow's backing of the sanctions
in the Security Council, where Russia holds veto power.
