MOSCOW, November 4 (RIA Novosti) - The Russian and Indian foreign ministers spoke for resolving the Iranian nuclear issue within the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), rather than in the UN Security Council, the Russian ministry said Friday.
The ministry said Sergei Lavrov and Natwar Singh discussed Iran's disputed nuclear program over the phone, at the initiative of the Indian side.
"The Indian minister raised the issue of the Iranian nuclear program ahead of a session of the IAEA Board of Governors due in November," the ministry said. "Both sides agreed that this complicated problem must be addressed by political and diplomatic means only, and within the IAEA."
Iran's nuclear program has long been an issue for debate, with Iran saying it enriches uranium to generate energy and not to develop nuclear weapons, a position echoed by Russia. Some concerns were also raised about India's nuclear ambitions in the past.
Europe and the United States have been mounting pressure on Tehran to reveal the details of its nuclear program, saying that otherwise it will be referred to the UN Security Council. Iran agreed to negotiate the issue with the IAEA, but was said to show little enthusiasm.
Russia and Iran are currently cooperating in the construction of an $800-million nuclear reactor in the Iranian city of Bushehr, which is scheduled to be operational by the end of 2006.
