Follow us on:   

Russia says real chance of striking Iran deal
November 18, 2013, 5:36 pm

Moscow and Washington agreed that a chance to solve the decade-old standoff over Iran's disputed nuclear drive should not be squandered, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday [Getty Images]

Moscow and Washington agreed that a chance to solve the decade-old standoff over Iran’s disputed nuclear drive should not be squandered, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday [Getty Images]

Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was optimistic about striking a deal on Iran’s disputed nuclear program during a phone conversation Monday with his Iranian counterpart, the Kremlin said.

“Putin stressed that there is now a real chance to find a solution to this long-standing problem,” the statement said.

Putin and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also discussed the situation in Syria including preparations for the Geneva-II international conference.

Meanwhile, Moscow and Washington agreed that a chance to solve the decade-old standoff over Iran’s disputed nuclear drive should not be squandered, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday.

“I share the assessments (U.S. Secretary of State) John Kerry made that we shouldn’t miss that chance, because the steps Iran is ready to take as its obligations are quite significant and directed to the demands of international community,” Lavrov was quoted by the government’s Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily.

Tehran is moving towards that goal much faster than anyone expected, he said.

Many western nations are concerned about Tehran developing a nuclear weapon, while Iranian leaders have always claimed the country’s uranium enrichment program is only for energy and medical purposes.

Rouhani praised Russia’s mediation work in the recent talks in Monday’s conversation with Putin, the Kremlin said.

On Friday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Maohammad-Javad Zarif said his country would respond affirmatively to any positive step initiated by the world powers in the nuclear negotiations.

Lavrov also dismissed allegations that Iran is buying time to obtain a nuclear bomb. “This assessment is far from reality,” he said.

The Russian Foreign Minister insisted that the principals of an agreement between Iran and the international community did not give any room for nuclear weapons proliferation.

Iran and the P5+1 group, namely Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany, will resume negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear program in Geneva on November 20 after an initial round of talks ended last week without agreement.

 

Source: Agencies