“Our stance on the Iranian nuclear program has no elements which could be interpreted as toughening of approach,” Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov stated, according to Russian news agencies.
Ryabkov said it’s necessary to resolve the standoff between Tehran and the West over Iran’s nuclear program.
The U.S. claims Iran is secretly seeking to build nuclear weapons — a charge that Iran vehemently denies.
The new U.S. administration has said it is willing to engage Iran.
Ryabkov said Monday that ending the Iranian nuclear standoff could also help advance U.S.-Russian talks on possible cooperation on missile defense, AP reported.
“As soon as there is a shift toward restoring confidence in the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear program, opportunities will open for deeper talk on prospects for cooperation on missile defense,” Ryabkov said. “We are studying signals from the U.S. administration, and, for our part, have made proposals on how we can cooperate in the missile defense field.”
PA/SL
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MNA
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