Iran dialogue better than sanctions: Putin

18 october 2007

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday that direct dialogue was a better way of easing the diplomatic crisis over Iran's nuclear ambitions than the threat of military force or sanctions.

Putin, speaking at an annual question-and-answer session, brushed aside a reported plot to kill him on a visit to Tehran last week.

"Direct dialogue with the leaders of states around which certain problems accumulate is always more productive and is the shortest path to success, rather than a policy of threats, sanctions, and all the more so a resolution to use force," he said.

His comments were a clear swipe at the United States, which has not ruled out using force against Iran over its nuclear program which Washington says is intended to develop weapons and not just peaceful energy generation as Tehran insists.

Putin visited Tehran on Tuesday, the first time a Kremlin leader has been to Iran since Josef Stalin in 1943. Russian contractors are also building Iran's first atomic power plant although Moscow has backed two sets of limited U.N. sanctions on Iran.

Just before the visit, Putin said he had seen No evidence that Tehran's program has military aims.

In Tehran, he met Iranian leaders including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran's top cleric, who has the final say on all state matters including nuclear policy.

Putin also invited Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to Moscow for talks.