Iran nuclear issue should be resolved diplomatically : Russian FM

TEHRAN, Nov. 19 (MNA) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that negotiation is the only way out of the impasse over Iran’s nuclear program, RT reported. “We are convinced that the only way to solve all the issues concerning the Iranian nuclear program is through dialogue and negotiations,” he told reporters after his meeting with EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton at a ministerial meeting of the Russia-EU Cooperation Council. Lavrov also reiterated the Russian position that the use of force against Iran was unacceptable. However, the Russian foreign minister stressed that the resolution was “balanced” and based on “verified facts” as opposed to “speculative assessments,” and calls on both Iran and the IAEA to intensify their cooperation. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Weimin told reporters at his regular press briefing in Beijing on Friday, “The right way to lead a comprehensive, long-term, and proper settlement is to have pragmatic dialogues between Iran and the G5+1 as well as to improve cooperation between Iran and (the) IAEA,” RTTNews reported. In addition, Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Friday that matters relating to Iran’s nuclear program should be dealt with diplomatically, according to the Indian daily The Hindu.