VIENNA (Sputnik) – In May, Ryabkov announced that Russia was ready to consider different scenarios of transporting excessive nuclear material from Iran to Russia, however, Tehran’s position on the issue was not clear at that time.
"Russia and Iran are close to an agreement on the parameters of possible removal of excessive nuclear material to Russia."
Iran Arms Embargo Remains Issue of Dispute Among P5+1 Members
Russia continues to hold disputes with other members of the P5+1 group on the pace of lifting the arms embargo against Iran, Sergei Ryabkov added.
"This was expected and we did not think that everything would work out easily here [on the issue of arms embargo]. There is still time to argue on this issue, which is what we will be doing," Ryabkov told journalists, adding that the disputes are "sharp and lacking constructive development."
P5+1 Make Progress on Issue of Sanctions Relief for Iran
Iran and the P5+1 group of international mediators have reached progress in nuclear talks on the issues of sanctions relief for Tehran, Ryabkov told journalists.
"In principle, there has been a shift on certain issues, especially the subject of a future UN Security Council resolution, which is important for us. There is fair progress on the issue of the lifting of sanctions."
The deputy foreign minister added that the sanctions regime will be suspended and subsequently canceled depending on how the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) certifies the actions of the Iranian side.
"The pace of the lifting of sanctions should be acceptable for the Iranian side, I think, although it would be best that they comment on this," Ryabkov told journalists.
According to the deputy foreign minister, disagreements remain on a number of issues in the nuclear talks, although efforts are being made to resolve all disputes as soon as possible, as the deadline for a final agreement between Iran and the P5+1 approaches.
Iran, P5+1 Ministers Agree to Meet for More Nuclear Talks Before End of June
"I assume that the meeting [of P5+1 foreign ministers] will be held before June 30," Ryabkov told journalists adding that in the coming days all remaining minor disagreements must be eliminated so that the ministers can focus on just a few major issues of dispute between the P5+1 and Iran.
The deputy foreign minister said that a meeting of P5+1 political director is likely to take place in one week.
Tehran agreed to cut back uranium enrichment activities and decrease its number of centrifuges in exchange for sanctions relief.
The process for lifting sanctions has been one of the sticking points during the talks. Russia insists that one of the first steps in sanctions relief should be the lifting of the arms embargo imposed against Iran over its nuclear activities, which the West claims are aimed at developing nuclear weapons.
Iran has repeatedly stressed that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.
The deadline for a final comprehensive deal between the P5+1 and Iran is set for July 1, 2015.
