The EU, ignoring US protests, said it had no problems with the weekend deal for the Russian-built power plant at Bushehr in southern Iran, a project the United States alleges is part of a cover for weapons development.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, speaking after talks with EU leaders, meanwhile urged Americans to take a "more active" role in Europe-led diplomatic efforts with Iran.

"I'm sure the US share the same objectives and we would welcome more active US involvement in bringing these things," he said.

The Russia-Iran nuclear deal led to immediate US criticism, with two top senators calling for a tougher stance against Russia -- including a demand by influential Republican John McCain for Russia to be thrown out of the G8.

Washington and its European allies should tell Russia's President Vladimir Putin, "'Vladimir, you're not welcome at the next G8 conference' -- at least to start with," McCain told Fox News.

Luxembourg Foreign Minister Jean Asselborn, whose country currently holds the EU's rotating presidency, said both he and Lavrov agreed that Iran must stick to its commitments under UN nuclear accords.

"IAEA safeguards and NPT have to be respected," he said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) -- the UN's nuclear watchdog -- and the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty.

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana underlined that all sides shared a common objective over Iran. "We don't want to see more weapons of mass destruction in the Middle East," he told a joint press conference with Lavrov.

But asked about the accord signed Sunday between Russia and Iran for the Bushehr plant, Asselborn said it had "no negative influence."

The comments echoed remarks by the European Commission, the EU's executive arm. "Our understanding is that the ... deal between Russia and Iran is compatible with our own approach," said spokeswoman Emma Udwin.

Three European Union (EU) countries -- Britain, France and Germany -- are leading negotiations designed to persuade Iran to permanently stop uranium enrichment activities.

Under Sunday's deal, which would cap an 800-million-dollar contract to bring the Bushehr plant on line, Russia will fuel the reactor on condition that Iran sends back spent fuel, which could potentially be upgraded to weapons use.

The EU spokeswoman denied there was any link between the Russia-Iran deal and the EU negotiations with Tehran.

"We are continuing these discussions. I don't see any direct link. The European negotiators are pursuing these discussions and we still hope that we will reach a positive agreement," she said.

Udwin, while saying the EU had not been informed in advance about the deal, stressed that both Iran and Russia "have made it clear that they will fully respect international rules and regulations on non proliferation.

"And most importantly (they have made it clear) that Bushehr will operated under the close supervision of the IAEA, added Udwin, spokeswoman for EU external relations commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner.

The EU spokeswoman reiterated that Europe believes very firmly that Iran should not develop a military nuclear capability. But she said: "We as the EU have never contested Iran's right to develop civilian nuclear power."

All rights reserved. � 2005 Agence France-Presse. Sections of the information displayed on this page (dispatches, photographs, logos) are protected by intellectual property rights owned by Agence France-Presse. As a consequence, you may not copy, reproduce, modify, transmit, publish, display or in any way commercially exploit any of the content of this section without the prior written consent of Agence France-Presse.