May 26 (Itar-Tass) – Russia’s position is neither pro-American nor pro-Iranian, Kremlin aide Sergei Prikhodko told reporters on Wednesday, commenting on a statement by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad in which he criticized Russia.
“Russia is invariably guided by its own long-term state interests. Our position is the position of Russia, it reflects the interests of all Russian peoples, that is why it can be neither pro-American nor pro-Iranian,” Prikhodko said. On Wednesday, President Ahmadinejad urged the presidents of Russia and the USA to support the Iranian-Turkish-Brazilian agreement on the exchange of nuclear fuel, saying it was “the last chance” to settle differences between Tehran and world powers.
Speaking about Russia, he also noted that the two countries historically enjoy friendly relations, but “friendship implies mutual respect and protection of each other’s rights”.
“At such crucial moments we would not like to see our neighbour on the side of those, who have stopped at nothing for 30 years in pursuing the policy hostile to the Iranian nation. This is absolutely unacceptable for Iran,” he stressed.
In reply to that Prikhodko stressed that “Russia has always favoured and will keep favouring good and respectful relations with all without exception neighbours – both small states and great powers, with those whose history dates back into centuries, and those who have acquired their statehood recently”.
“In our practical moves on the international arena in international organizations, together with other responsible states we seek the assertion of principles of equality, supremacy of law, mutual respect and equal for all security,” Prikhodko stressed.
“Of course, any unpredictability, any political extremism, non-transparency and inconsistency in making decisions that concern the whole international community” is unacceptable for Russia, he stressed.
Prikhodko said “those who speak on behalf of the friendly Iranian people” must remember that. “Nobody has ever managed to preserve prestige with the help of political demagogy,” he stressed. “I am confident that many thousand years long history of Iran itself also testifies to that,” Prikhodko added.
