MOSCOW, January 21 (RIA Novosti) - It is too early to refer the Iranian nuclear file to the UN Security Council, former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov said Saturday.
"I do not support sanctions against Iran because they may boost extremism," Primakov, who is currently the president of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, told the radio station Ekho Moskvy.
He said other options should be explored to resolve the problem before referring Iran's dossier to the UN and that Iran should not be deprived of an opportunity "to develop a peaceful nuclear industry".
The Islamic republic's nuclear ambitions have been the subject of particular attention since hardliner Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was elected president last year. Iran has consistently stated that it wants to acquire nuclear technology for peaceful purposes, but calls have mounted for the UN to impose sanctions on the country after it ended its two-year moratorium on nuclear research last week.
