Russia Downplays Effects of West-Led Sanctions on Iran

Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov underlined that the western sanctions against Tehran and Moscow have proved futile and ineffective,adding that the embargos will harm their sponsors more.

The advocates of sanctions imposed by Europe on Moscow have been wrong about the effectiveness of the policy, which has also had no effect on Iran, Ryabkov said at the Moscow State Institute of International Relations on Wednesday.

He said the sanctions imposed on the Kremlin over the crisis in Eastern Ukraine would have an “opposite” effect just like the ones against Tehran over its nuclear program, Russia’s Interfax reported.

“The pursuers of this (sanctions) policy have false ideas about potential efficiency of sanctions against Russia,” Ryabkov said.

“These people are doing harm to themselves,” he underlined. “I don’t know how much time they will need to realize this reality.”

In relevant remarks last week, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif reiterated that the only way out of the decade-long nuclear standoff between Iran and the West was dialogue and not sanctions as pressures could only deteriorate the case.

 “Sanctions have failed to obtain the intended goals, and they need to be lifted altogether,” Zarif said on the sidelines of Munich Security Conference in Germany, adding failure in talks does not mean end of world.

He also reiterated that respect and negotiation was the only way which would lead to fruitful results on Iran, adding Iran wanted to prove that its nuclear program was merely for peaceful purposes.

The 10th round of negotiations between Iran and the six world powers was held in Vienna from November 18 to 24, where the seven nations decided to extend the talks until July after they failed to strike an agreement.

The latest round of the nuclear talks between the two sides was held at the level of deputy foreign ministers in Geneva, Switzerland, on January 18.

The two sides decided to continue their talks in February.

Both Iran and the Group5+1 (the five permanent UN Security Council members plus Germany) negotiators have underlined that cutting a final deal before the July 10 deadline is possible.

Iran warns of negative impacts of West’s approach to nuclear talks

On the other hand, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) Ali Shamkhani warned of the negative impacts of the approach pursued by the western members of the Group 5+1 (the US, Russia, China, Britain and France plus Germany) towards the nuclear talks with Tehran.

Shamkhani criticized the western governments for procrastination of the nuclear talks, and said that the western approach may lead to negative effects on the current process of the nuclear talks.

If the other side gets rid of political agenda and consider legal and technical realities, signing a desirable agreement in a short time would be possible, he said in a second round of meeting with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in Tehran.

Shamkhani underlined Iran’s commitment to nuclear talks with the G5+1, and said that Iran through active diplomacy made evident the baseless propaganda of the world arrogance about Iran’s peaceful nuclear program and proved Iran’s right to follow up its nuclear rights in the framework of NPT.

Iran’s good faith to admit numerous inspections of the IAEA and implementation of Joint Plan of Action were a test for the western governments’ honesty and commitment to the Geneva agreement before the world conscience.

FNA

R.S