Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has discussed with U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton a new UN Security Council resolution on Iran, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
"There was an exchange of opinions on the situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear program in the context of UN Security Council work on a draft resolution against Iran and the prospects for implementing the fuel swap for the Tehran research reactor," the ministry said.
The Iranian, Brazilian, and Turkish foreign ministers agreed on May 17 that Iran will swap in Turkey most of its 3.5%-enriched uranium for 120 kg of 20%-enriched fuel for use in its Tehran scientific research reactor.
However, the deal did not halt discussions by the Iran Six (Russia, the United States, Britain, France, Germany and China) on a draft Security Council resolution to expand sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said on Thursday that Tehran had not halted its uranium enrichment activities, adding that questions also remained over Tehran's implementation of the relevant UN Security Council resolutions.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has criticized Russia and China, which had previously spoken out against sanctions, for supporting the draft.
International pressure on Iran increased in early February when Tehran announced it had begun enriching uranium to 20% in lieu of an agreement on an exchange that would provide it with fuel for a research reactor.
Russian President Dmitry Medvedev will arrive in Germany on Friday for a two-day visit to discuss with Chancellor Angela Merkel international issues including Iran's nuclear program and peace efforts in the Middle East and Afghanistan.
MOSCOW, June 4 (RIA Novosti)
