Russia says NPT must be kept intact in Iran crisis

BEIJING, Mar 22 (Reuters) Efforts to resolve the Iran nuclear crisis should focus on keeping the Non-Proliferation Treaty intact, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today.

''I think our efforts should focus on preventing the NPT system from being destroyed,'' he told reporters. ''We think the NPT system should be improved. We (Russia and China) share a common view on most international issues... to use multilateral cooperation to reach agreement all parties can accept.'' His comments came as Russian President Vladimir Putin held talks with Chinese leaders in Beijing.

Russia, backed by China, has held up an agreement on a draft statement the UN Security Council could issue telling Iran to stop atomic research, which Western powers believe is a cover for pursuing weapons.

Iran insists its nuclear ambitions are purely peaceful.

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