Lukashevich said in a press conference in Moscow on Thursday that unilateral sanctions against Iran will not help resolve the dispute over Tehran’s nuclear energy program.
He also stated that the US Senate’s recent anti-Iran move just prior to the talks between Iran and the P5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) in Baghdad raised many eyebrows among Russian officials.
Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday that Moscow expects US President Barack Obama to turn down the new sanctions against Iran.
“I hope this excessive stance by the US lawmakers will ultimately meet a responsible attitude by the US administration and the US president,” he said.
“As Iran takes a step toward the global community, the world community should take steps for weaker sanctions against Iran,” Lavrov noted.
On Monday, the US Senate unanimously approved a bill to extend sanctions to countries or companies that have dealings with the National Iranian Oil Company and the National Iranian Tanker Company, another attempt to restrict Iran from selling its crude oil abroad.
Iran and the P5+1 wrapped up their meeting in Baghdad on Thursday after two days of negotiations.
The Iranian negotiating delegation was headed by the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili, and the delegations of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany were headed by the EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton.
Both sides agreed to hold another round of talks in Moscow on June 18-19.
Tehran and the P5+1 have already held three rounds of talks, one in Geneva in December 2010, and two in Istanbul in January 2011 and in April 2012.
MP/HGH/MA
[Source: PressTV]
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