Iran FM: Russian-EU Proposals To Be Surveyed At Kazakhstan Meet

Moscow, Feb 12, IRNA – IRI Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi announced here Monday proposals made by Russia and European Union about Iranˈs nuclear program would be surveyed at Amati, Kazakhstan meeting of Iran-G5+1. According to IRNA, Salehi further reiterated in an interview with RIA Novosty news agency, ˈThe Islamic Republic of Iran announced last year that it has prepared its five article plan based on the proposals presented by the Russian foreign minister in the year 2011.ˈ In Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrovˈs proposed plan, which is famous as the step by step plan, is based on gradual lifting of the imposed sanctions against the Iranian economy in return for increased cooperation of Iran with the IAEA. The Iranian FM said that the EU has devised a separate three phase plan about the Iranian nuclear program which was proposed to Tehran last month. Salehi added, ˈAt the upcoming meeting of the Iran-G5+1 in Kazakhstan the negotiating sides would try to find the shared points of these two plans.ˈ According to the Russian news agency, Salehi refrained from speaking about the details of these two plans, delaying it to the February 26th Almati meeting. Salehi added, ˈIran would presently ignore presently the one-to-one talks proposal made by the US Vice President Joe Biden, but such talks would be possible in the future if Washington would stop imposing pressure and threatening Iran.ˈ The Iranian top diplomat said, ˈSome people might assume that the tone of comments made by the US officials have changed and become mote positive and constructive, but we believe that is not sufficient yet.ˈ Iranian Foreign Minister Ali-Akbar Salehi said here Monday political will of Iranian and Russian leaders is good incentive for expansion of bilateral cooperation. Salehi said, ˈIran and Russia can be complementary of each other and as His Eminence the Supreme Leader of Revolution Ayatollah Khameneˈie said, Iran favors having a strong Russia by us side.ˈ He added, ˈTehran and Moscow can at the international scene cooperate in many fields, including bilateral interaction about the situation in Syria, which is progressing fine.ˈ The Iranian top diplomat pointed out that there are lots of possibilities for expansion of Iran-Russia relations in industrial, economic, scientific, and cultural fields, reiterating, ˈBut thus far we have not taken advantage of those possibilities as we should have.ˈ He referred to the trade volume of the two countries during the past year that reached about three billion US dollars, saying, ˈThis volume does not match the potential possibilities of the two countries, which is very high and it must be multiplied several fold.ˈ Salehi said, ˈThis is while the trade volume Iran with Turkey is over 20 billion dollars a year.ˈ He added, ˈI hope the will of the two countriesˈ leaders for elevation of Iran-Russia trade volume would lead to the expansion of bilateral trade.ˈ The Iranian foreign minister said, ˈIf we would be determined enough the bilateral trade volume would increase to 15 billion dollars annually, particularly since Russia needs agricultural products that Iran can provide.ˈ He added, ˈRussia, too, can provide wood, steel and the industrial products that Iran needs.ˈ Pointing out that there are financial problems in the way of expansion of bilateral commercial cooperation, he said, ˈIn this visit we would try to solve those problems.ˈ Salehi said, ˈThe two sides are scheduled to sign two cooperation agreements during this visit and proposals will be made and surveyed in industrial, commercial and baking fields.ˈ The Iranian Minister of Foreign Affairs Ali-Akbar Salehi arrived in Moscow Monday evening atop a delegating to participate at the 10th Commission of Joint Iran-Russian Cooperation. On Tuesday Salehi is scheduled to attend a ceremony to sign the documents is the 10th Iran-Russia Cooperation Commission at Moscowˈs President Hotel. Salehi is the head of the two countries 10th Cooperation Commission whose preliminary meeting in the presence of the two countriesˈ experts began their activities as of Monday morning at the Russian Economy Ministry. The Head of the Russian side at the Cooperation Commission is the Russiaˈs Energy Minister Alexander Novak. It is expected that the finalized technically surveyed documents of the 10th Joint Iran-Russia Cooperation Commission would be signed in the presence of Salehi and Novak at a special ceremony Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, some Russian media, such as Voice of Russia and have announced that the Iranian foreign minister would in this visit also have a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov on Iranˈs nuclear program. The 9th Joint Iran-Russia Cooperation Commission was held last year in Tehran simultaneous with Bushehr Nuclear Plantˈs joining the Iranian electricity network./end