Russia says Iran proposals something to work with

Link

Reuters/ here

"Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Thursday that a package of proposals from Iran to world powers contained something to work with and ruled out oil sanctions against the Islamic Republic.

Iran handed a package of proposals to world powers on Wednesday, after Western pressure to engage in talks to resolve the dispute over its nuclear program.

"Based on a brief review of the Iranian papers my impression is there is something there to use," Lavrov told academics and reporters from the Valdai discussion group in Moscow. "The most important thing is Iran is ready for a comprehensive discussion of the situation, what positive role it can play in Iraq, Afghanistan and the region," he said.

Lavrov said that the United Nations Security Council would not support oil sanctions against Iran, the world's fifth-largest crude exporter.

He said that world powers had agreed to use sanctions only as a way to get Iran to cooperate with the International Atomic Energy Agency.

"Some of the sanctions under discussion, including oil and oil products, are not a mechanism to force Iran to cooperate -- they are a step to a full blown blockade and I do not think they would be supported at the UN Security Council," he said..."

Posted by G, Z, & or B at 2:19 PM