Russian FM: Russian, US positions on Iran’s nuclear program ‘coincide’

September 24th, 2009 Israel welcomes Russian stand on Iran sanctionsJERUSALEM — A senior Israeli official welcomes steps by Russia toward endorsing additional sanctions against Iran as a way of stopping its nuclear program. Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Daniel Ayalon said Russian President Dmitry Medvedev opened the door to a firm international stand against Iran.

September 23rd, 2009 Obama, Russian leader hold talks over Iran nukesNEW YORK — Russian President Dmitry Medvedev says sanctions are rarely productive but opened the door to tougher ones to halt Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program. After meeting with President Barack Obama in New York, the Russian leader told reporters "in some cases sanctions are inevitable." Obama's top priority in his sit-down with Medvedev was Iran's nuclear ambitions.

September 17th, 2009 Russian FM says no new sanctions on IranMOSCOW — Russia's foreign minister says Moscow firmly opposes any new sanctions against Iran. Sergey Lavrov says new tougher sanctions would ruin hopes for solving the Iranian nuclear program through talks.

September 4th, 2009 VLADIVOSTOK - A crew of Indian submariners will take part in sea trials in mid-September of the Russian nuclear submarine which is to be leased to the Indian Navy by the end of 2009, a source said Friday. Russia's Nerpa nuclear attack submarine, damaged in a fatal accident during tests last November, resumed sea trials July 10 in the Sea of Japan after extensive repairs that cost an estimated 1.9 billion roubles ($60 million).

August 18th, 2009 Russia, Israel to discuss Mideast peace, IranMOSCOW — Russia's President Dmitry Medvedev hosted Israeli counterpart Shimon Peres for talks Tuesday that were expected to focus on the Middle East and the Iranian nuclear standoff. Russia aspires to host an international conference to discuss the Middle East peace process, and Medvedev and Peres were expected to discuss the issue during their talks in the Russian Black Sea resort of Sochi.

August 5th, 2009 Russian general confirms submarine patrols near USMOSCOW — A top Russian general says two nuclear-powered Russian attack submarines that have been spotted off the U.S. East Coast are part of regular patrols.

August 5th, 2009 WASHINGTON - Two Russian nuclear-powered attack submarines have been spotted in the Atlantic Ocean off the US eastern seaboard, The New York Times reported late Tuesday on its website, citing defence department officials. Such patrols have been rare since the demise of the Soviet Union.

July 22nd, 2009 Reports: Iran reactor to be switched on this yearMOSCOW — Russian news agencies quote the country's nuclear agency chief as saying a Russian-built nuclear power reactor in Iran is still set to be switched on this year. State-run RIA-Novosti and ITAR-Tass quote Sergei Kiriyenko as saying plans remain for a start-up of the reactor near the Iranian city of Bushehr by the end of the year.

July 7th, 2009 Obama: US, Russia share burden of reducing nukesMOSCOW — President Barack Obama says the United States and Russia must be united in resisting North Korea's attempt to become a nuclear power and Iran's effort to get a nuclear weapon. He declared in a speech to Russian college students that both Washington and Moscow have an obligation to put an end to nuclear proliferation and to seek a nuclear-free world.

July 6th, 2009 Obama trusts Medvedev to follow throughMOSCOW — President Barack Obama says he trusts Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev (dih-MEE'-tree med-VYEH'-dyev) to follow through on the agreements the two leaders have announced at their summit in Moscow. The agreements include a preliminary deal to reduce both nations' stockpiles of nuclear warheads.

May 23rd, 2009 AMMAN - The Jordanian government has received an offer from Russia's Rosatom Corporation for building a research nuclear reactor in the country, Chairman of the Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) Khalid Touqan said Saturday. The tender was made under the provisions of the nuclear cooperation agreement which Jordan signed with Russia in Moscow Friday, Touqan said in an interview with the official Petra news agency.

May 19th, 2009 MOSCOW - Russia and the US have started the first round of talks here on a new strategic arms reduction treaty, the Russian foreign ministry said Tuesday. The US delegation is led by Rose Gottemoeller, US assistant secretary of state and the Russian side is headed by Anatoly Antonov, director of the security and disarmament department of the Russian foreign ministry.

May 4th, 2009 Russian ship frees Iranians seized with piratesMOSCOW — Iran's embassy in Moscow says a Russian warship has freed eight Iranians who were seized along with suspected Somali pirates last week. The embassy says the Iranians had been held captive by the pirates for almost three months, and has praised the Russian Navy for the rescue.

April 23rd, 2009 Report: Lavrov to meet Clinton in Washington May 7MOSCOW — A Russian news agency says Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov will travel to Washington next month for talks on nuclear nonproliferation with U.S. counterpart Hillary Rodham Clinton.

February 26th, 2009 BUSHEHR - Russia has completed the construction of Iran's first nuclear power plant at Bushehr and is launching start-up operations, the head of Russian nuclear power corporation Rosatom said Wednesday. The plant in south Iran, which Russia undertook to finish as part of a 1998 contract, was originally scheduled to go on line at the end of 2006, but the date has been pushed back several times.