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Russia hopes talks btw Iran, six negotiating countries to begin after inauguration of Iran’s new President

Ilyichov also added that Russia does not see any alternative to diplomatic settlement of the situation around the Iranian nuclear program
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS
Photo EPA/ITAR-TASS

UNITED NATIONS, July 16 (Itar-Tass) - Russia hopes that a new full-fledged round of talks between Iran and the six negotiating countries - five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany - will take place soon after the inauguration of Iran’s new President Hassan Rowhani, Russian Deputy Ambassador to the UN Pyotr Ilyichov said Monday at a session of the UN Security Council.

“We hope that a new full-fledged round of the dialogues between the Six Countries and Iran will take place shortly after the new President of the Islamic Republic takes office,” he said. “A considerable resource for attaining first decisions at the talks has already been accumulated.”

Ilyichov pointed out the statements made by President Elect Rowhani in what concerns Teheran’s readiness to display more openness in it matters related to its nuclear program.

“We expect these plans to take practical shape both at the International Atomic Energy Agency and at the table of negotiations with Teheran,” he said.

Ilyichov also added that Russia does not see any alternative to diplomatic settlement of the situation around the Iranian nuclear program.

The previous round of negotiations took place in Almaty, Kazakhstan. Tuesday, political directors of international mediators are expected to gather in Brussels for a discussion of the future of the talks.

Monday, UN Security Council heard a report by the Australian ambassador, Gary Quinlan, who chairs the committee on sanctions against Iran.

Quinlan said, among other things, that the committee continues scrutiny of last year’s launches of Shahab-1 and Shahab-3 missiles.

He admitted, though, that the member-states of the committee - and Russia and China have seats on it, too - do not have unanimity of opinions on whether or not the launches had encroached on the UN Security Council’s Resolution 1929 forbidding any activities under Iran’s missile program.

Quinlan also admitted the absence of unanimity on another resounding incident - the seizure of a ship with weaponry from Iran in Yemen this February. He said the committee said a letter to Teheran May 21 asking the Iranian officials to comment on the report within fifteen days but it has not received any answer to date.

On the face of it, committee members failed to reach consensus even on merely sending a letter on the Iranian military aid to Hezbollah Lebanon, to Hamas in Palestine and to Islamic Jihad.

Deputy Ambassador Ilyichov said, however, that the committee should proceed in its assessments only from the information that is reliable and veritable.