US President George W. Bush and visiting Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday called on Iran and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to end their nuclear weapons programs.
Iran was at the top of their agenda during two days talks at the Camp David presidential retreat outside Washington DC, as Moscow is helping build a nuclear reactor in Iran, while the United States claims the Islamic country is secretly developing a nuclear weapons program.
"I strongly urge Iran to comply with all obligations under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty," Bush said at a joint news conference with Putin after talks.
"We share a common goal, and that is make sure Iran doesn't have a nuclear weapon, or a nuclear weapons program," Bush said.
He said the United States also "strongly" urges the DPRK "to completely and verifiably and irreversibly end its nuclear program."
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wants Iran to allow tougher inspections of its nuclear facilities and has given the country until the end of October to prove that it is not running a secret nuclear weapons program.
The Russian president is not giving up the US$800 million reactor deal with Iran, but speaking through a translator, he said he will urge Iran to comply with the IAEA.
"It is our conviction that we shall now give a clear but respectful signal to Iran about the necessity to continue and expand its cooperation with IAEA," Putin said.
The IAEA said earlier this week that it has found new evidence that Iran is enriching uranium. But the Russian president denied that Russian technology is contributing to the Iran's nuclear effort.
"Russia has no desire and no plans to contribute in any way to the creation of weapons of mass destruction, either in Iran or any other spot, region in the world," Putin noted at the news conference.
On DPRK's nuclear issue, Putin said, "Russia believes that ensuring nuclear nonproliferation should be accompanied by extending to North Korea guarantees in the security sphere. We intend to continue our joint work with the United States in resolving this issue."
On Iraq, the two leaders said they had "frank" discussions about their disagreements over the post-war reconstruction in Iraq.
Putin said Russia's participation in post-war Iraq will depend on a new UN resolution that is now being discussed.
Bush said "all nations of goodwill should do their part" to help rebuild Iraq.
"In the struggle between terrorist killers and peaceful nations, there is no neutral ground," he said. "All nations must join in confronting this threat where it arises before the terrorists can inflict even greater harm and suffering."
"All nations should stand with the people of Afghanistan and Iraq, as they build a future based on freedom and democracy," he said.
The Bush administration is seeking Moscow's support for a new UN Security Council resolution requiring other countries to share the financial burden of rebuilding Iraq.
Russia was one of the most vocal opponents of the US-led campaign in Iraq, and Putin said recently that Russia's position has not changed.
Putin held that the difficulties in restoring stability in Iraq led him to conclude he was right all along in opposing the war, saying it was a big political mistake.
He said if stability is to be achieved, the United Nations must be given a greater role in Iraq's post-war reconstruction process.
(Xinhua News Agency September 28, 2003)
