TEHRAN Head of Iran Pasteur Institute (IPI) Morteza Azartoush denied a report by the U.S. daily New York Times claiming that Iran is seeking the help of Russian scientists in what it called the production of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Speaking in an interview with the TEHRAN TIMES, Azartoush termed this report false and baseless. The Russian biologist Valeri Bakayov came to Iran in 1994 to conduct academic and research work and to teach our students, Azartoush said.

He went on to say that the biologist is presently carrying out research on tuberculosis in collaboration with the IPI. Azartoush also denied that the IPI was carrying out a biological research project to counteract biological weapons. He said, Although such innovations are good, the institute is in no way involved in such activities. Touching on the joint projects and cooperation of this institute with other international organizations, he said that the IPI has signed an agreement with Cuba for the production of the hepatitis-B vaccine.

We are in close cooperation with the Paris branch of Pasteur Institute, and we send some of our personnel to France for academic purposes, he noted. The IPI also has scientific cooperation with research centers in the U.S., Canada and Belgium, Azartoush said.