WASHINGTON, April 11 (RIA Novosti) – Russia only recognizes UN Security Council sanctions against Iran, not the United States’ own “Oil for Goods” deal, Russian Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said after a meeting with US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew on Friday.
“The US Secretary of the Treasury informed us that they have information about the possible participation of our companies in trade ties with Iran for buying Iranian oil,” Siluanov said.
“In this situation we are acting on the basis of decisions by the United Nations, which defines sanctions and groups of goods that will fall under the sanctions, and we are acting within the limits of the decisions approved by international organizations,” he added.
There is a subtlety in the situation, the minister underlined.
"Our American partners have enacted their own legislation, which differs from the decisions taken by the UN, and they are monitoring their solutions," Siluanov said.
In the meeting, Lew told his Russian counterpart that the US was concerned about developments around Ukraine and Iran and threatened possible new sanctions against Russia.
In January, Reuters reported that Moscow and Tehran were discussing a barter deal under which Iran would provide around 500,000 barrels of oil per day in exchange for Russian equipment and goods. The sides hoped to ink the deal in the nearest future, the agency said.
White House spokesman Jay Carney said that such a deal would trigger US sanctions against Russia and Iran.
The Russian business daily Kommersant, citing anonymous sources, reported in January that Moscow and Tehran would discuss the oil deal regardless of the US position on the matter.
