Russia not to back 'excessive sanctions' against Iran : Lavrov

Moscow, Mar 21 (UNI) Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov today said Russia will not back 'excessive sanctions' against Iran at the United Nations.

''We agreed earlier to influence Iran gradually, taking into account the present situation and we will not back 'excessive sanctions','' Mr Lavrov said addressing the State Duma.

He was referring to a new resolution on Iran being drafted by the UN Security Council over Tehran's defiance to freeze the uranium enrichment programme.

Mr Lavrov said Russia saw no connection between completing the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran and work on a UN Security Council resolution on Tehran's controversial nuclear programme.

Meanwhile, Russian constructor Atomstroiexport today dismissed Western media reports that Russian specialists were leaving Bushehr.

An Atomstroiexport source told Itar-Tass news agency that Russian specialists kept building the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

''It was a regular rotation of workers,'' the source said, adding that the only stumbling block in the Bushehr project was the lack of Iranian financing, which prevented the sending of a new shift of Russian builders to Bushehr.

About 2,000 Russian specialists were working in Bushehr at present, he said UNI