LOS CABOS, June 18 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and the U.S. support a phased settlement of Iran's nuclear issue through negotiation but demand that Tehran implement UN Security Council resolutions and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"Recognizing Iran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, we agree that it must exert serious efforts aimed at restoring international trust in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear program," according to the joint Russian-U.S. statement issued following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, in Los Cabos, Mexico, on Monday.
"For that Tehran must fully abide by the commitments contained in the appropriate resolutions of the UN Security Council and the IAEA Board of Governors for swift resolution of all outstanding issues," the statement said.
"Our common goal is an all-embracing negotiated settlement based on the principles of a phased approach and reciprocity, and expect constructive negotiations with Iran via the six power talks, including the negotiating rounds in Moscow on June 18-19," it said.
Russia and the U.S. support a phased settlement of Iran's nuclear issue through negotiation but demand that Tehran implement UN Security Council resolutions and cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.
"Recognizing Iran's right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, we agree that it must exert serious efforts aimed at restoring international trust in the exclusively peaceful nature of its nuclear program," according to the joint Russian-U.S. statement issued following a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and his U.S. counterpart, Barack Obama, in Los Cabos, Mexico, on Monday.
"For that Tehran must fully abide by the commitments contained in the appropriate resolutions of the UN Security Council and the IAEA Board of Governors for swift resolution of all outstanding issues," the statement said.
"Our common goal is an all-embracing negotiated settlement based on the principles of a phased approach and reciprocity, and expect constructive negotiations with Iran via the six power talks, including the negotiating rounds in Moscow on June 18-19," the document said.
The Moscow talks, including the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany (5+1), started on Monday and are expected to continue through Tuesday. Iran’s team of negotiators is headed by Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Secretary Saeed Jalili, while EU foreign policy Chief, Catherine Ashton, heads up the Group 5+1 delegation.
The Iranian side said the first day of talks ended constructively, but experts believe that a breakthrough is unlikely as the sides' positions are rather difficult and tough to reconcile.
Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, but Western countries accuse it of covertly developing a nuclear bomb. Tehran has been slapped with several rounds of economic sanctions by the UN in recent years over the lack of transparency in its nuclear program.
An EU embargo on Iranian oil takes full effect on July 1 and new U.S. financial sanctions some days before that.
The United States has warned it will tighten sanctions against Iran if the Moscow negotiations fail to make progress on the Islamic Republic's nuclear program.
