Putin promises to work together with Tehran on settling Iranian nuclear problem

MOSCOW, December 18. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow together with Tehran is ready to work on settlement of the Iranian nuclear problem and added the Iranian side demonstrates big flexibility. “Together with the Iranian friends we shall be working on settlement of [the issue of] Iranian programme, I believe, we are very close to settling this problem,” he told an annual news conference on Thursday. “The Iranian leadership demonstrates very big flexibility,” he said. “I even do not quite understand why a final decision is not signed yet, and I hope it will happen very soon.” The recent round of talks on Iranian nuclear programme involving political directors of the P5+1 mediating nations, including five permanent members of the UN Security Council and Germany, and Iran was held in Geneva on December 17. Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov participated in talks from Russia. “The main task of this round of talks was to make sure of no backpedalling in talks after initially negotiated decision to attain a comprehensive accord by November 24 was not fulfilled. We have a firm, clear-cut, official and full confirmation that no one at these talks showed neither setback nor shift to widening of disagreements,” Ryabkov gave these comments on the results of this round of talks. He added that negotiating dynamics was being fully kept and advance towards attainment of a final deal continues. As for terms, the diplomat recalled that Vienna talks in November debated extension of negotiations until June 30, 2015 and main political parameters of the deal are planned to co-ordinate already in next three or four months. Next round of P5+1-Iran talks will be held in mid-January 2015, Russian Foreign Ministry said. Read more