Russian FM acknowledges "Iran's legitimate security concerns"
News Code: 945715 GMT: 2/6/2010 12:42:54 PM
www.irna.ir/En/View/FullStory/?NewsId=945715&idLanguage=3

Munich, Feb 6, IRNA(Iran news agency) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei
Lavrov on Saturday called on western countries to take "Iran's legitimate
security concerns" seriously.

"Iran has legitimate security concerns, no doubt about it," Lavrov said in
his remarks to the Munich Security Conference.

"Iran was attacked a couple of times in recent history. Iran did not attack
anybody," he added.

Lavrov linked the settlement of the Iranian nuclear dispute to resolving
other crises hotspots in the Middle East, among them Palestine, Iraq,
Afghanistan and Lebanon.

"We cannot afford tackling the Iranian nuclear program in isolation by
ignoring what is going around this region, including between Israel and the
Arab states," he
added.

Meanwhile, the Russian official urged the international community "to find a
technical fix" to the issue of the Tehran research reactor.

"It could really make a difference and could really create a new
atmosphere," Lavrov said.

He emphasized that a long-term solution to the Iranian nuclear stalemate
should
take into account the overall Mideast security architecture.

OT**1416

End News / IRNA / News Code 945715