Russia opposes further sanctions against Iran

Russia does see any reason to impose additional international sanctions on Iran, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

In an interview with the Bloomberg news agency, Lavrov said world powers should consider easing sanctions against Iran so as to push the country to cooperate in resolving the dispute over its nuclear program.

Iran last June came under a fourth round of UN sanctions, which Russia supported and were followed by tougher unilateral measures by the U.S. and the European Union. Russia won't support new sanctions against Iran, Lavrov said.

"It's a process which can only be successful if we count not on new sanctions and threats, but on negotiations," Lavrov said.

Talks between Iran and the five permanent U.N. Security Council members plus Germany have stalled since January and Russia believes that incentives are needed to kick-start the process, Lavrov said.

"We have to show to Iran that if it cooperates, if it answers satisfactorily the IAEA demands, then it should see the light at the end of the tunnel," Russia's top diplomat said.

The IAEA has been probing Iran's nuclear work since 2003, when it was revealed that the government had hidden atomic research for two decades.

The U.S.has accused Iran of seeking to build a nuclear weapon, while Iran says its program is for energy production. Russia built Iran's first nuclear power plant and plans to start full operations at the facility soon.

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