Russia warns against unilateral sanctions on Iran

Tehran, June 14 (IANS/RIA Novosti) Russia is opposed to unilateral sanctions against Iran, and wants action based on UN resolutions, Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said.

"We are against any forcible action bypassing the UN Security Council -- be it Iran, Cuba or any other sovereign UN member nation," he said.

Failure to observe UN Security Council resolutions is unacceptable, he warned.

Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Saeed Jalili said Tehran was hoping that the international community will finally recognise its right for nuclear technologies and uranium enrichment for peaceful purposes.

"The Islamic Republic of Iran has a good potential for cooperation in the area of disarmament and nuclear non-proliferation and this potential should be realized," Jalili told Russia Today television.

"We expect that Iran's right for nuclear technologies, including uranium enrichment, will be officially recognized and respected," he said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has said Moscow supports Iran's right to peaceful uses of nuclear energy and is in constant contact with Tehran on nuclear issues.

Western nations and Israel are seeking to persuade Iran to give up its uranium enrichment programme, which they suspect is aimed at producing nuclear weapons. Iran says its nuclear programme is merely designed to generate energy.

Russia is hosting the third round of talks on Iran's nuclear programme June 18-19.

The US has warned it will tighten sanctions against Iran if the Moscow negotiations fail to make progress on the nuclear programme.

--IANS/RIA Novosti

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