Russia urges Iran to fully cooperate with the IAEA

MOSCOW, Nov. 27 -- The Foreign Ministry on Friday urged Iran to "seriously react" to a resolution adopted by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

"We hope that Tehran would seriously react to the signal contained in the resolution... and ensure full cooperation with the agency in order to achieve an early negotiated settlement of the situation around the Iranian nuclear program," said a statement published on the ministry's website.

The resolution, IAEA's first against Iran since February 2006, called for "full cooperation" of Iran to clarify all outstanding issues involving its nuclear program, and required Iran to stop construction on nuclear facilities in Qom.

The resolution also contained a strong call on Tehran to implement the relevant UN Security Council resolutions, as well as all the transparency measures the IAEA needed to restore confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program, said the ministry

Iran has been repeatedly urged to respond to an IAEA-brokered draft deal, which called for shipping some 70 percent of Iran's enriched uranium abroad in exchange for fuel rods for research use.

It has been agreed by the other parties involved in negotiations with Tehran, including the United States, Russia and France.

Meanwhile, Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko told reporters that Moscow hoped to enhance energy cooperation with Tehran.

Shmatko said earlier that Russia would not start the reactor at the Bushehr nuclear power plant by the year-end, citing technical reasons.

Iran is at the center of an international dispute over its nuclear ambitions. Western powers suspected Iran of attempting to build nuclear weapons, but Tehran said its nuclear program was aimed at generating nuclear energy for civilian purposes.