MOSCOW, March 9 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and the United States are pursuing a well-considered and cautious approach toward the resolution of the Iranian nuclear problem, Russia's foreign minister said Thursday.
Sergei Lavrov told Russian television that he had discussed the issue Tuesday with U.S. President George Bush, who said that the Iranian nuclear program required an extremely cautious approach and all future steps should be thoroughly considered before the UN Security Council took any specific measures.
"We support this position and hope that it will guide the U.S. negotiators," the minister said.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN's nuclear watchdog, decided Wednesday to refer Iran's "nuclear file" to the UN Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions on Tehran if it is found to be in breach of its international commitments.
Russia's Foreign Ministry called on Iran Thursday to cooperate in full with the IAEA and seriously consider the results of its decision.