DUSHANBE, March 28, 2012, Asia-Plus — The United States has not taken into account an important role of Russia in the region while calling on Central Asia’s countries to support sanctions against Iran and refuse to trade and other relations with it in order to put pressure on Tehran to show solidarity with the international community over concerns about Iran’s nuclear program, Vafo Niyatbekov, Tajik expert in international relations, said.
“The Russian side shows support for Iran, and therefore I think that even if the Central Asian nations consider the appeal, they will not fulfill any specific recommendations of Washington,” the expert noted.
According to him, of all the Central Asian nations only Tajikistan has active relations with Iran. “We have a number of investment projects and we cannot freeze them,” Niyatbekov said.
Besides, Iran is one of the main partners of Tajikistan and today the sides are considering the possibility of implementation of a number of other large projects, including the construction of railroad, etc, he added.
“As far as other countries of the region are concerned, I think they will support the United States’ appeal indirectly, without expressing it directly.”
“I do not think that the United States will impose sanctions against Tajikistan for “disobedience.” There are many examples in the international practice when relations of one side with another one, which is in confrontation with the third side, remain stable,” the expert said.
We will recall that Iran says the expansion of its enrichment program is meant only to provide nuclear fuel, denies any interest in developing the atomic bomb, and says the right of countries to enrich nuclear power is enshrined in the Nonproliferation Treaty.
But the U.S. and others say Iran”s nuclear record is causing concern. Tehran reportedly started enriching in secret, has refused offers of nuclear fuel shipments from abroad, and last year began enriching to higher levels that bring it closer to point where it could turn its program into producing fissile warhead material at an underground bunker that could be impervious to attack from the air.
