Russia, US see chance emerges for solving Iranian nuclear issue

Moscow and Washington agreed that a chance to solve the decade-old standoff over Iran's disputed nuclear drive should not be missed, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Monday. "I share the assessments (U.S. Secretary of State) John Kerry made that we shouldn't miss that chance, because the steps Iran is ready to take as its obligations are quite significant and directed to the demands of international community," Lavrov was quoted by the government's Rossiiskaya Gazeta daily. Teheran moves to that goal much faster than anyone expected, he said. Iran insists on uranium enrichment on its soil, while the West pushes for a halt to it and oxidation or shipment of its high- grade stockpile of enriched uranium abroad. On Friday, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Maohammad-Javad Zarif said his country would respond affirmatively to any positive step initiated by the world powers in the nuclear negotiations. Lavrov also dismissed allegations that Iran just buys time to obtain a nuclear bomb. "This assessment is far from reality," he said. The diplomat insisted that the principals of an agreement between Iran and the international community did not give any room for nuclear weapons proliferation. Iran and the P5+1 group, namely Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States plus Germany, will resume negotiations over Tehran's nuclear program in Geneva on Nov. 20 after an initial round of talks ended last week without agreement.