Defence minister comments on NKorea, Iran, Georgia
(10 Oct 2006) SHOTLIST 1. Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov walking to his seat to give media conference 2. Cutaway of media 3. Wide of Ivanov at media conference 4. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Sergei Ivanov, Russian Defence Minister: "Such things, naturally, cause apprehensions, indignation, and it seems to me, the whole world, in a consolidated manner, made the same assessment of North Korea's becoming, de facto, the ninth nuclear power." 5. Cutaway of media 6. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Sergei Ivanov, Russian Defence Minister: "According to all available data, Iran doesn't have any explosive device, and they don't have any enriched uranium or plutonium either. North Korea does have it. That the first distinction, and you will surely will agree with me, it is a very significant distinction, very significant one." 7. Wide of media conference 8. SOUNDBITE (Russian) Sergei Ivanov, Russian Defence Minister: "I understand the (Russian) peacekeepers are like a bone in the throat for the Georgian leadership. I am fully aware of it. But, since they are there under the agreement, they will stay there until both sides in the conflict, the internationally recognised ones, ask us to get out of there. We will leave when both sides ask us and then we will leave." 9. Cutaway of media 10. Mid of Ivanov followed by pull out to wide of media conference STORYLINE Russian Defence Minister Sergei Ivanov said on Tuesday that North Korea had "de facto" become the world's ninth nuclear power and stuck to Russian estimates about the force of a nuclear test claimed by the isolated Communist state. Ivanov said a nuclear device was tested, and added that it was a colossal blow to the non-proliferation regime. "It seems to me, the whole world, in a consolidated manner, made the same assessment of North Korea's becoming, de facto, the ninth nuclear power," he told reporters. On Monday, the defence minister had said there was "no doubt" that North Korea had carried out a nuclear test, and said the force of the underground blast was equivalent to five thousand (4535923 kilograms) to 15 thousand (13607771 kilograms) tons of TNT (Trinitrotoluene), several times greater than a South Korean estimate. Ivanov insisted the discrepancy in the estimates could be explained by two reasons. He said the first was purely political as some want to make the nuclear explosion and some want to play down its severity. He added the second aspect was purely technical saying that the reading would depend on which where each countries national technical devices were located. Ivanov also spoke about Iran, and its nuclear programme. "According to all available data, Iran doesn't have any explosive device, and they don't have any enriched uranium or plutonium either," he added. Last week Russia, the US, France, Britain, China and Germany agreed to pursue possible sanctions against Iran, but they stopped short of demanding punitive measures by the UN Security Council. During the media conference Ivanov also made clear that Russia had no intentions of waging a war against Georgia, but indicated that Moscow would continue exerting pressure against its small southern neighbour. Moscow and Tbilisi have been locked in a bruising dispute over the detention in Georgia of four purported Russian spies two weeks ago. Despite their release, Russia slapped Tbilisi with a transport and postal blockade and cracked down on Georgian migrants, deporting several hundreds of them and closing down many Georgian-run businesses here. Ivanov said that Russia's peacekeepers would stay in Georgia in the interim. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: / ap_archive Facebook: / aparchives Instagram: / apnews You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...
