MOSCOW, December 17. /TASS/. Moscow is ready to assist Tehran in finding acceptable solutions to the Iranian nuclear program, while the West violates all agreements in an effort to restore sanctions against the nation, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference after talks with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

"We talked at length about the situation around the Iranian nuclear program in the context of an absolutely aggressive anti-Iranian illegal line taken by a group of Western countries. Russia again confirms its readiness to assist its Iranian friends in finding acceptable solutions to the crisis in the nuclear dossier, which was created by the hands of the West," Lavrov said. "The Western Europeans, in violation of all conceivable agreements, in violation of the norms that are legally imposed by the UN Security Council, are doing all they can to try to restore the UN sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran, although these sanctions have been fully expired for months, along with the relevant decisions of the UN Security Council."

Lavrov said Russia condemns this utter disregard for international law, and condemns attempts to put selfish interests above the principles of the UN charter.

"We hope that the UN secretary general, who is also being dragged into this game, sees perfectly well that he is being dragged into a trap and will not allow using his authority and reputation as secretary general to implement the selfish, illegal plans of Western countries," Lavrov said.

"It is clear that any decisions regarding possible agreements that can bring the situation out of the current crisis and move it to a constructive course should be taken exclusively by the Iranian leadership on its own, based on the interests of the Iranian people and with full respect for their right as a full-fledged member of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes."