Lifting bans must run parallel with Iran deal: Russia

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov

A senior Russian official says the UN Security Council should start lifting economic sanctions against Iran simultaneous with the resumption of negotiations between Tehran and the P5+1 countries to draw up a final nuclear deal.

"We adhere to our view that the lifting of Iran sanctions stipulated by the UN Security Council resolution should run parallel to signing of the [nuclear] agreement. But it does not mean that all sanctions will be removed altogether,” Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Friday.

Ryabkov, who is a member of Russia’s team negotiating with Iran over its nuclear program, added that the negotiating sides should discuss “what sanctions are to be removed or suspended and in what sequence.”

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the US, Britain, France, Russia and China -- plus Germany along with officials from the European Union reached a mutual understanding on Tehran’s nuclear program after eight days of marathon talks in Switzerland on April 2.

EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini (L) and Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif clap after issuing a joint statement at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne on April 2, 2015. © AFP

 

According to the statement, no Iranian nuclear facility will be shut down or suspended while all sanctions against the Islamic Republic will be terminated.

The two sides will now work on drawing up a final accord by the self-designated June 30 deadline.

The United States insists that the lifting of Iran sanctions must come in phases.

White House Deputy National Security Adviser Ben Rhodes said on Friday that the removal of anti-Iran sanctions will be phased.

His comments came a day after Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei said on Thursday that sanctions against Iran must be terminated all at once.

“This is a very important issue and sanctions must be completely terminated on the same day of the [final] agreement,” Ayatollah Khamenei stated on Thursday.

If the issue of sanctions removal is supposed to turn into a new process, the base of the negotiations will be meaningless because the talks are aimed at lifting the bans, the Leader pointed out.

Iran and the P5+1 group of world powers will resume negotiations to draw up a final agreement on Tehran’s nuclear program within days, Catherine Ray, spokesperson for EU foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, said on Friday.

SF/NN/HRB


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