Russia urges Iran to freeze uranium enrichment

Moscow, Feb 3: Russia today called for Iran to freeze its uranium enrichment and resume the implementation of the Protocol to the International Atomic Energy Agency's control agreement.

''Iran should fully cooperate with the IAEA's Board of Governors, and, among other things, get back to the implementation of the additional protocol on control, freeze uranium enrichment and take some other measures pending the work to untangle all difficult problems,'' Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislyak said in an interview to Interfax news agency.

''All this is quite feasible, if relevant political decisions are made,'' he noted.

On further sanctions on Iran, he said the UN Security Council's new resolution on Iran issues serious signals to Tehran and provides for expanded sanctions.

''When this document is made public, you will see that it contains serious signals for Iran and envisions a certain expansion of the earlier sanctions,'' Mr Kislyak said.

Referring to Russian-US talks on START Treaty, he said they are proceeding less successfully than they should.

''The situation is disappointing. Our colleagues have a different idea of the tasks set,'' Mr Kislyak pointed out.

UNI