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Russia does not believe relations with US to affect P5+1 talks with Iran

“We do this not to give a favour to Americans, Iranians, this meets fully national interests of finding a political and diplomatic solution to the problem,” Deputy Foreign Minister notes

Nuclear talks with Iran in March 2014 EPA/HANS PUNZ

Nuclear talks with Iran in March 2014

© EPA/HANS PUNZ

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VIENNA, April 07. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia does not believe that relations with the United States will affect talks between P5+1 [five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany] states and Iran, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told ITAR-TASS upon arrival in the Austrian capital on Monday.

“We do not see such indicators yet,” he said.

“I do not believe [that this will happen], this would be wrong,” the deputy foreign minister added.

Meanwhile, he noted that progress in talks on Iranian nuclear programme was beneficial for all parties concerned. “We do this not to give a favour to Americans, Iranians, this meets fully national interests of finding a political and diplomatic solution to the problem,” he said.

“We would not like to turn this in some kind of bargaining chip,” the deputy foreign minister added.

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov added also that Russia has no special expectations from the forthcoming talks of Iran.

“It’s reasonable to talk of expectations if everything is ready,” he said. “But we are hardly halfway through.”

According to Ryabkov, a number of issues that are at the initial stage of consideration remain.

But the parties, the diplomat noted, are committed to making efforts so that the round be marked “by the creation of the basis for further steps”.

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