No Nuclear Help

Frank-Walter Steinmeier opposed offering nuclear power assistance to Middle Eastern countries in an interview with the Monday edition of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.

"I cannot support using nuclear power as the solution to the world's energy problems or scattering nuclear power stations over regions that lack the competence to deal with this technology and where there is insufficient certainty about political stability," Steinmeier said.

He had been asked about his opinion on the deal French President Nicolas Sarkozy signed last week with Libyan President Moammar el Gadhafi to deliver one or more nuclear reactors to the northern African country.

However, Steinmeier conceded that certain exceptions could be made. He added that Germany had been involved in negotiations with Iran and offers had been made to provide assistance in establishing a civil nuclear power program in the country.

Russian sends nuclear fuel to Iran

The foreign minister's statements coincide with the delivery of Russian nuclear fuel to Iran's Bushehr atomic power station on Monday, which was confirmed by officials in both countries. After several further deliveries, the plant will be ready for service in about six months.

Russia said that Tehran had promised the fuel would not be used for military purposes and that it had called on Iran to halt its uranium enrichment program.

"We believe that qualitatively the new conditions have been created which will allow Iran to take the steps which are demanded of it … for the restoration of trust in the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program," said the Russian foreign ministry in a statement.

A top Iranian official rejected the demand from Russia, saying his country refused to halt its uranium enrichment program. The United States and its allies have suspected that Iran's uranium program was being used to build an atomic weapon and not solely to provide its population with energy.

Russia's delivery had been delayed for months due to international negotiations surrounding Iran's nuclear program and warnings from the US.

Earlier this month, a US security report concluded that, contrary to previous information, Iran had ceased its military nuclear program in 2003.

Steinmeier said the report took off some pressure and that he saw "great readiness" on the part of the US to use the time gained by knowing that Iran isn't currently a nuclear power, but doubted whether Tehran would show the same willingness.

Steinmeier too Russia-friendly, say critics

In the same interview, the foreign minister took a soft line with Russia, despite Monday's delivery of nuclear fuel, saying that Germany should develop a thriving relationship with the former Soviet power.

"This perspective doesn't require a certificate on the quality of the Russian form of government," he said, deliberately contradicting Chancellor Angela Merkel, who commented following last month's parliamentary elections that Russia wasn't a democracy.

"Without a doubt, a great degree of stability has been achieved in Russia during the eight years of Putin's presidency," added Steinmeier, who is a member of Germany's Social Democratic Party. He has been accused by his Christian Democratic coalition partners of being too friendly with Russia.