Iran wins security pledge at Putin summit

by Philippe Naughton - Oct 16, 2007

President Putin used an historic visit to Iran today to make the case against Western military action and help deliver a regional security guarantee for the Islamic republic.

Mr Putin ignored warnings of a possible suicide attack against him to become the first Kremlin chief to visit Tehran since Josef Stalin met other Allied leaders there at the height of the Second World War in 1943.

After initial talks with his host, President Ahmadinejad, Mr Putin joined the leaders of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan for a summit of Caspian Sea states - and quickly issued a barely-coded warning to the Azeris against military cooperation with the West.

Russian media have speculated that Washington might be trying to negotiate with Azerbaijan on the right to use military facilities in the Caucasus republic for a campaign against Iran, although Azeri officials have denied any such plans.

Today's summit did not reach agreement on their main objective - how to divide up the Caspian and its huge oil and gas reserves. But the five Caspian presidents did agree not to let a third country use their soil for an attack on any of the other coastal states.

The summit communique, handed to journalists in Tehran by Russian delegates before a televised signing ceremony, also stressed that "under no circumstances will they allow (the use of their) territories by third countries to launch aggression or other military action against any of the member states".

In another excerpt that will please Iran - already celebrating the propaganda value of Mr Putin's visit - the summit leaders said they acknowledged the rights of all signatories to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop peaceful atomic energy.

"The sides consider the Non-Proliferation Treaty ... one of the basic pillars of international security and stability," said the declaration, signed by the presidents of the five Caspian Sea states - Russia, Iran, Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan.

They "also acknowledge the rights of all states which are parties to the Non-Proliferation Treaty to develop the research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes ... under the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) mechanism."

Mr Ahmadinejad described the declaration at a news conference as "very strong."

The Iranian President had welcomed Mr Putin and the other leaders with a call for closer co-operation on security issues and deeper economic ties.

"This cooperation - which is intended to prevent military competition in the sea and also warding off hostile forces and at the same time fighting organised crime - will require the establishment of a regional body in the near future," he said.

Mr Putin pushed ahead with the visit despite a warning from his own security service that he could be the target of a suicide bomb plot. Because of that threat - denied by Iran - security was tight, and Mr Putin arrived at Tehran airport at 0630BST today rather than last night, as was originally planned.

As well as meeting Mr Ahmadinejad, Mr Putin was expected to see Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's supreme leader who has ultimate authority and the final say in all state matters such as nuclear policy.

His meetings with Iranian leaders could give Mr Putin a chance to seek a compromise on the nuclear issue that is souring international relations.

Iran is embroiled in a diplomatic standoff with Western nations over its nuclear programme, which it insists is needed to generate power but which its critics say is being used to develop atomic weapons. Washington has refused to rule out the use of military action if diplomacy fails to resolve the row.

Russia says that it sees no evidence that Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons, and is resisting efforts at the UN Security Council to step up sanctions over Iran's refusal to fall into line with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The Security Council has imposed two rounds of limited sanctions on Iran, which were backed by Russia and five other world powers - the United States, France, Germany, Britain and China. Washington and Paris are trying to overcome Russian and Chinese resistance for a round of harsher, broader sanctions.

Mr Putin was also likely to discuss a dispute over Russian delays in building the Bushehr atomic power plant, Iran’s first. Russia says Iran is behind in its payments for the plant, which Tehran denies.