Russian Scholar: EU's Anti-Iran Sanctions Against 5+1 Commitments

Moscow, Jan 29, IRNA - Yelena Ponomaryova of the Moscow State Institute of International Relations said that unilateral European Union oil sanctions against Iran is against commitments of the western countries within 5+1 to resume talks with Tehran. In an exclusive interview with IRNA on Saturday, she said the EU embarked on oil embargo against Iran despite the fact that Tehran had already announced readiness to resume talks with 5+1. She said the EU even ignored the important fact that Iran is fully cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) whose inspectors are set to visit Iran on Sunday. Stressing that all these indicated Iran’s good will and readiness to solve its nuclear issue, the scholar stressed that the EU move, especially in the present conditions, is totally wrong. She believed the EU should try to correct its mistake before it is too late. Ponomaryova further noted that the recent EU measures will only prevent resumption of talks with Iran, adding that Europe should focus on talks and negotiations with Iran instead of sanctions./end