Moscow: Though sanctions on Iran are
believed to be important, there is a need to make them "wise"
and unscrupulous sanctions should not be imposed on the people
of Iran as they are absolutely unacceptable, a top Russian
diplomat has said.
"As for sanctions, we believe them important and we seek
to make them 'wise', that is we should not use them
unscrupulously and impose them on the whole country or its
people," Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said
Sunday.
"Such broad and mass sanctions are absolutely unacceptable
for us. Sanctions should be focused, pointed, wise and pursue
an aim of strengthening the non-proliferation regime."
He said that the time for sanctions arrives when
"all other possibilities for the settlement of this or that
problem as exhausted."
The minister said there is a chance to find a solution to
Iran's nuclear programme, but no question has been raised yet
to adopt a new resolution on sanctions.
"In fact the possible beginning of the work on a new
resolution is on the agenda. It is not a theoretical problem.
The US side shows interest in working out such resolution," he
said.
Commenting on the date when any process should be
started, Ryabkov said: "Every side has right to be guided by
their priorities and preferences. This is also related to
China, France, Germany - to everyone."
The six world powers, including Russia, China, the
United States, Britain, France, and Germany, still disagree on
the need for additional sanctions against Iran.
In particular, China has announced that it is not the
right time to take any new measures against Tehran, as members
of the UN Security Council have already adopted five
resolutions against that country.
Iran is under three sets of UN Security Council sanctions
for refusing to stop its nuclear programme.
Western countries insist that Iran develops its nuclear
programme for military purposes, while Tehran claims it
pursues purely civilian purposes.
"We'd like our Iranian friends to rivet attention to this
moment. They should try to study it from all points of view in
order to estimate the potential costs of sanctions," the
minister said.
"In total, we have not lost a chance yet to find the
solution to the problem. We also understand that the United
States and other countries raise the question to begin working
on a new resolution rather acutely," he said.
PTI
First Published: Sunday, March 21, 2010, 19:51