| Date: 27/04/2012 Time: 07:57:00 PM |
Russian foreign minister Sergey Lavrov Friday
refused imposition of new sanctions against Iran because of Tehran's nuclear
program.
Lavrov, in televized remarks, said possibility of imposing new sanctions
against Iran did not exist, as current sanctions have already affected all
people and institutions related to the nuclear program.
Imposion more sanctions will force collapse of the Iranian economy, said
Lavrov.
He said the measures taken by the US and the European Union (EU) against
Iran aimed at undermining the economic and social conditions.
Lavrov said he believed sanctions would not do the purposes they were
imposed for because Iran was a sovereign country "with dignity, traditions and
mentality, and the nuclear program is a national ambition."
The Russian top diplomat said slaming the Iranian banking system with
sanctions was a violation of the charter of the International Monetary Fund
(IMF).
Lavrov hoped a plan would be finalized to address the Iranian nuclear file
through negotiations with the P5+1 group, whose next round is in Baghdad on
May 23.
This plan stipulates freezing of sanctions against Iran and not imposing
further ones if Tehran pledges not to increase centrifuges, he said.
The international community will pledge to remove some sanctions if Tehran
reduced the centrifuges until the cessation of uranium enrichment in Iran, he
said.
"After they (the west) are convinced with the peaceful nature of the
Iranian nuclear program, then Tehran can return to enrich uranium under
complete supervision of the IAEA," he added. |