Potential N-deal not historic mistake: Russia

Russia’s foreign minister has dismissed remarks that a potential nuclear deal between Iran and the P5+1 group would be a historic mistake, saying such comments are “far from reality”.

Israeli Premier Benjamin Netanyahu has said that any deal between the two sides would be a “historic mistake.”

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Monday, “First of all, this idea is far from reality because, like I said, in Geneva Iran was ready to go faster and farther than the steps that the E3+3 group called on it to take back in early 2013.”

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States – plus Germany held the last round of negotiations in Geneva on November 7-10.

“Secondly, suspecting Russia, the United States, and other trial participants of unprofessionally approving documents, ignoring the risks to the nuclear non-proliferation regime posed by them means simply not respecting our intellectual capabilities and our firm political principles,” the Russian foreign minister stated.

Representatives from Iran and the P5+1 resume the next round of talks in Geneva on Wednesday.

Lavrov added that he agrees with US Secretary of State John Kerry that the sextet should not miss the existing opportunity to resolve the nuclear issue with Iran as steps that Iran is prepared to take are “very, very significant and increasingly comply with the world community’s demand.”

“We confirmed that, depending on the course of the work, we will be ready to organize a ministerial segment of this event as we did previously, and see whether we have common ground.”