‘Iran N-deal result of joint efforts’

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov has hailed the deal between Iran and the Sextet over Tehran’s nuclear energy program as “very positive,” saying it was made through collective efforts.

Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council — the United States, China, Russia, France and Britain – plus Germany sealed an interim deal in Geneva on November 24 to pave the way for the full resolution of the West’s decade-old dispute with Iran over the country’s nuclear energy program.

Under the Geneva deal, the six countries have undertaken to lift some of the existing sanctions against the Islamic Republic in exchange for Tehran agreeing to limit certain aspects of its nuclear activities during six months. It was also agreed that no more sanctions would be imposed on Iran within the same timeframe.

In a Tuesday interview with the Russian TV channel Russia Today, Lavrov said the Geneva agreement was “made possible by our joint efforts. This is further proof that initiatives can only be put into action by our joint and sincere efforts that ensure a balance of interests and are in line with international law.”

Lavrov said that the final goal of the Geneva deal is “to get all the parties to the talks to agree that eventually Iran should have a recognized right to develop its peaceful nuclear program and enrich uranium to make fuel for nuclear power plants, while making sure that this program has no military dimension and that it is subject to total control of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency).”

Describing the agreement as “the fruit of years-long efforts”, Lavrov said “it took a very long time for our Western partners to start reasoning this way, the way which is fair, comprehensive and takes into account the interests of the international community – Western countries, the region’s and Iran’s interests.

Lavrov said “this breakthrough – if it was, indeed, a breakthrough – was the result of Russia’s long-term efforts and patience.”