MOSCOW, April 30: President Vladimir Putin has assured his Iranian counterpart there will be continuity in Russia’s relations with Tehran, RIA news agency quoted a senior Russian official as saying on Wednesday.

The official delivered the message in Tehran a few days before world powers, including Russia, are expected to meet in London on Friday to discuss Iran’s disputed nuclear plans.

Russia says there is no evidence that Iran is trying to make bombs but has pushed it to be more open about its nuclear work.

“An oral message from Russian President Vladimir Putin was conveyed to Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad at a meeting,”

RIA quoted Valentin Sobolev, acting secretary of Russia’s National Security Council, as saying in the Iranian capital.

“The substance of it is that Russia confirms the principles of mutual relations (with Iran) and her policy will not depend on who is in power,” he said. Putin’s successor Dmitry Medvedev will be sworn in as president next month.

Sobolev, who heads a high-level Russian delegation visiting Tehran for discussions on Iran’s nuclear programme, had talks with Ahmadinejad on Wednesday and said the Iranian president had sent his greetings to both Putin and Medvedev.

Iran has set out a series of proposals to Sobolev that are aimed at ending deadlock over Tehran’s nuclear programme, RIA said. Iran has not revealed details about its proposals.

The United States and European states accuse the Islamic Republic of mastering technology to make nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian programme. Iran rejects the charge and says it has a right to a peaceful nuclear programme.

Six world powers fell short at a meeting in Shanghai on April 16 of agreeing a package of trade and other incentives to offer Iran if it suspends sensitive nuclear work.

The six — the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China and Germany — are expected to meet again in London on Friday.

Along with China, Russia has been reluctant to back more sanctions in the past although it supported all three UN resolutions introduced against Iran since 2006 when it came to a vote at the UN Security Council.

Iran’s ISNA news agency quoted Sobolev as saying the positions of Iran and Russia on different regional and international issues “are very close and compatible” and that Iran has a right to obtain peaceful nuclear technology.

“Russia welcomes Iran’s action in preparing and proposing a package of proposals which includes important international issues, such as nuclear technology,” he was quoted as saying.

Ahmadinejad said the two countries could play an influential role by expanding ties: “Joint cooperation between

Iran and Russia ... is to the advantage of the two nations and beyond the region,” the president said, ISNA reported.

—Reuters