"The current crisis surrounding Iran's nuclear program was mainly created by the EU troika [Britain, France, and Germany], and I think it is ungrounded and far-fetched," Radzhab Safarov, director of Moscow's Center for Iranian Research, said.
According to Safarov, the situation arose because the "EU troika" had not officially recognized Iran's right to develop "peaceful" nuclear programs in its latest package of proposals.
"This shows that Western countries do not want to have a competitor in the energy sphere," he said.
"In addition, the West fears that Iran will convert newly acquired nuclear technologies for military purposes. This fear is clearly present in the content of all talks between the EU and Iran." Safarov said these fears were unjustified. "IAEA experts are constantly monitoring the development of Iran's nuclear programs and have not found any evidence of violations of international law in that respect."
He also said it was doubtful that during a special session of the IAEA Board of Governors the participants would decide to submit the Iranian "nuclear dossier" to the UN Security Council.
"Such an outcome is hardly possible. Besides, such a precedent would seriously limit the possibility of new countries to acquire new technologies, which would mean the use of a double-standard policy in relation to certain countries."
"In addition, I do not think Russia would agree with its Western partners to submit the dossier to the UN," Safarov said.
"Russia is interested in resolving the crisis surrounding Iran's nuclear program both for political and economic reasons because it has large joint projects with Iran in the energy sphere," the expert said.
Russia is finishing the construction of the first nuclear reactor at the Bushehr nuclear power station in southern Iran. It will become operational in 2006.
