VIENNA, March 3 (RIA Novosti) - Iran must re-impose its moratorium on uranium enrichment if it is to reach a deal with European Union negotiators, Russia's foreign minister said Friday. "There are always options for reaching agreement," Sergei Lavrov said.
"If all sides observe all the conditions - if Iran re-imposes its moratorium on uranium enrichment ... and there is constructive dialogue on creating a joint venture on Russian soil to meet Iran's nuclear fuel needs for atomic energy - and if they are supported by all sides, then the result will be positive."
Lavrov said all the issues surrounding Iran's nuclear problem could not be resolved without the UN nuclear watchdog's experts and called for a decision that would leave the conditions of their work in Iran unaffected to be made at the upcoming session of the board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
Lavrov added that one of his deputies, Sergei Kislyak, would remain in Vienna for further talks with Iran and the EU.
Iran and the European trio of France, Germany and Britain held a new round of nuclear talks on Friday prior to a crucial meeting of the IAEA on March 6.
Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, said earlier that his country had agreed to hold talks with the European trio to confirm its willingness to continue constructive dialogue and support any reasonable approach toward solving the current crisis.
Meanwhile, a British diplomat said before the meeting that the trio did not have any new proposals and simply intended to consider Iran's position once again.
IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei welcomed the current meeting saying it presented another opportunity to return to the negotiating table.
The March 6 meeting of the 35-nation IAEA board of governors could decide to refer the Iranian "nuclear file" to the UN Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions if Tehran is found to be in breach of its international commitments.
An emergency session of the IAEA board in early February showed that its approach to Iran's position on uranium enrichment and a full nuclear cycle had become noticeably tougher. The board approved a resolution binding ElBaradei to inform the UN Security Council about Iran's nuclear program and position on cooperation, and about the IAEA's actions on the issue, but said Iran still had a chance to stop its nuclear research before the final decision had been made.
Russia and Iran have been discussing the Russian initiative to set up a joint uranium enrichment venture in Russia, with the possible participation of other countries, in particular China.
The mooted deal with Russia on uranium enrichment is seen as a potential compromise in the crisis around the nuclear programs of the Islamic Republic, which some countries suspect of pursuing a covert weapons program. Although Tehran has consistently said it only wants nuclear power for peaceful purposes, the United States and other nations have concerns, as enriched uranium is a vital component for an atomic bomb.
