April 11, 2007 - 19:48 AMT
Yuri Savelyev: Russia will lose Caucasus and Central Asia in case of war in Iran
Russia will lose Caucasus and Central Asia in case of war in Iran, deputy chair of the Russian State Duma committee for industry, building and scientific technologies, head of the parliamentary commission for ties with Iran Yuri Savelyev told a news conference dedicated to the situation with Iran. "If Iran is Russia's friend, so we have the Caucasus and Central Asia. If no, these territories will be filled with NATO forces. America is washed by oceans; Russia is 'washed' by the Muslim world, and we should be friends," he said, RBC reports.

During today's news conference in Yerevan, Russia's First Vice Premier Sergey Ivanov said Iran has the right to development of nuclear energy, but enrichment of uranium is quite another matter. Russia has already proposed Iran to enrich uranium at the Russian enterprises. "However, this should be done under control of the International Atomic Energy Agency. I must stress that the Iranian problem should be solved by political and democratic means. Threat of war is a way to nothing, it's a calamity," he said.