In a phone conversation Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and US Secretary of State John Kerry discussed Iranian nuclear program and current situation in eastern Ukraine.MOSCOW, November 12 (RIA Novosti) Russian Foreign MinisterSergei Lavrovand US Secretary ofState John Kerry discussed the recent nuclear talks withIran and the situation inUkraine ina phone conversation Wednesday, the Russian Foreign Ministry said.
Commenting onthe talks inOmans capital Muscat, the two top diplomats expressed the need toreach an all-encompassing agreement allowing tofully normalize situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear program infuture.
During an exchange ofopinions aboutthe current situation insoutheastern Ukraine, Lavrov made a special emphasis onthe priority ofcreating a sustainable direct dialogue ofKiev, Donetsk and Luhansk, the statement reads.
With the Ukrainian crisis escalating, and the deadline toreach the agreement onthe Iranian nuclear issue drawing closer, meetings betweenLavrov and Kerry have become more regular and take place nearly every month, withmore frequent phone conversations.
Oman hosted the latest roundof P5+1 nuclear talks onIran onTuesday. The talks, held inthe city ofMuscat, were also attended byEU envoyCatherine Ashton. The next roundof talks is scheduled totake place inVienna onNovember 18-24.
The West and Israel have long accused Iran ofattempting todevelop a nuclear weapon underthe guise ofa civilian nuclear program, while Tehran argues that its nuclear development is aimed purely atmeeting the country's growing energy needs and achieving other peaceful goals.
In November 2013, duringtalks held inGeneva, the P5+1 group ofinternational mediators comprising Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China, and Germany agreed toreach a deal withthe Tehran delegation guaranteeing the peaceful nature ofthe Iranian nuclear program byJuly 2014. The deadline forthe agreement was later postponed toNovember 24, 2014.
While diplomats share similar views onthe Iranian nuclear issue, major differences remain intheir attitude towardthe situation incrisis-torn Ukraine.
The crisis inUkraine escalated inApril, when Kiev authorities launched a military operation againstindependence supporters ineastern Ukraine that refused torecognize the new government, which came topower aftera February coup. Following months ofbloodshed, a ceasefire agreement was reached bythe Ukrainian government and independence supporters onSeptember 5 inMinsk. Despite the truce, the two sides have continued accusing each other ofviolations.
BySputnik News
The Iran Project is not responsible for the content of quoted articles.
