MOSCOW (Itar-Tass) - We have “no grounds to suspect Iran of seeking to possess nuclear weapons,” Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said in an interview with CNN’s Larry King.

“Our position is open, and Iran knows it. We will continue to cooperate with all participants in this process until the complete solution to this problem,” the Russian prime minister said in response to a question about whether Russia shares the concerns of other countries that Iran is moving toward becoming a nuclear power.
Putin said, “Iran has been implementing its nuclear program for twenty years now and of late, in recent years, Iran has in one way or another indicated its readiness to engage in dialogue with the international community and with the IAEA. Yes, we are aware that questions remain concerning the early stages of the program and we share the IAEA’s desire for exhaustive answers.”
“You will, of course, know that we are concerned about any indication of proliferation, about any possibility, even if it is a theoretical possibility for the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. This applies to absolutely all states, including Iran. At the same time, we have no grounds for suspecting Iran of seeking to possess nuclear weapons. But we are cooperating with all our partners, including the United States, within the framework of the United Nations,” the Russian prime minister added.
“As you know, so far we have managed to agree on the decisions taken. Our position is open and Iran is aware of it. We will continue to cooperate with all participants in this process until the problem is entirely resolved. I very much hope that this resolution will transpire. I think this is in the interests not only of Iran’s neighbor, Israel, which has great fears about nuclear programs, and the other parties involved in this process, but also those of Iran and the Iranian people.”
The prime minister also noted, “I see nothing reprehensible, nothing that infringes upon Iran’s national interests, in it opening up all its programs and responding adequately to the legitimate interest that the international specialist agency, the IAEA, has taken in its work. I see nothing to fear here, but at the same time I am still of the opinion that Iran has the right to pursue nuclear programs under the supervision of international organizations.”
In the interview broadcast on Wednesday evening, Putin also spoke of the threat of an arms race and expressed his views on the recent disclosure of U.S. diplomatic cables by the whistle-blowing site Wikileaks.
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