Baku, Azerbaijan, Mar. 31
Trend:
Sanctions against Iran must be lifted when an agreement on its nuclear program is reached, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said at a press conference, RIA Novosti news agency reported March 31.
"With regard to our position on sanctions, I believe that sanctions should stop working by reaching agreements," Lavrov said. "There are different forms - completely cancel or suspend at first, and then cancel in the legal sense. But in practice the sanctions should cease to work and no longer interfere with the development of legitimate trade and economic activity between Iran and its foreign partners."
The minister went on to add that this applies to sanctions imposed on Iran by UN Security Council.
"We do not recognize the unilateral sanctions that were imposed by the US, Europeans and some other countries, no matter whether it is Iran or any other country," said the head of the Russian foreign ministry. "But it is a question of cooperation between Iran and these countries."
A political part of a comprehensive agreement on the Iranian nuclear program, on the conclusion of which the parties agreed in late 2013, should have been agreed upon by March 24. However, the dates were shifted during the last ongoing round.
Edited by CN