Putin urges Iran to be transparent on atomic work

NOVO-OGARYOVO, Russia (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told a senior Iranian diplomat on Tuesday he expected Tehran to open up its atomic energy program to the United Nations' nuclear watchdog.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili met Putin a day after a U.S. intelligence report said Tehran had put its nuclear weapons program on hold, contradicting the Bush administration view that Iran was actively seeking a bomb.

Minutes before meeting Jalili near Moscow, the Russian leader had a 40-minute telephone conversation with U.S. President George W. Bush in which they discussed Iran, a Putin aide said.

"We are pleased to note that your contacts with the International Atomic Energy Agency have become more active," Putin told Jalili in opening remarks at their meeting.

"We expect that all your nuclear programs will be transparent and under the control of this respected organization."

The United States has led the West in accusing Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian atomic program. Iran denies any such intention.

The United States, France and Britain are pushing for a third round of U.N. sanctions against Iran.

Russia, which is a permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, says there is no evidence that Iran has sought to develop nuclear arms but it has tried to persuade Tehran to ease concerns over its program.

After the meeting Russian, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told reporters Jalili had briefed Putin on Iran's cooperation with the IAEA.

Lavrov quoted the Iranian official as saying Tehran would clear up outstanding questions with the agency "in the near future."

"We note Tehran's correct mood, its commitment to cooperate with the IAEA and to the Non-Proliferation Treaty," Lavrov said. Signatories to the Non-Proliferation Treaty pledge to limit the spread of nuclear weapons.

PHONE CONVERSATION

Jalili made no comments to reporters and cancelled a planned news conference at the Iranian embassy in Moscow. He was to leave Moscow later on Tuesday.

Putin's foreign policy aide Sergei Prikhodko told reporters the White House had initiated the telephone conversation between Bush and the Russian leader.

"It lasted nearly 40 minutes," he said.

"Issues around Iran's nuclear program, the situation in the Middle East and the results of the Annapolis conference were discussed," he said, referring to last month's talks on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the United States.

A surprise report from the U.S. National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) said Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program in 2003 and had not restarted it as of mid-2007.

U.S. intelligence agencies did not know whether Iran still intended to develop nuclear weapons, the report, which was welcomed by Iran on Tuesday, said.

The Security Council has demanded Iran suspend uranium enrichment, a process that can produce fuel for power plants or, potentially, nuclear weapons.

Jalili, echoing the views of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has vowed Iran will not retreat from its nuclear plans.

(Additional reporting by Guy Faulconbridge)

(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge and Christian Lowe; Editing by Richard Balmforth)