Head of the Iranian Center for Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus Studies in Majlis (parliament) Mahdi Sanaei predicted that Iran and 5+1 group will achieve a minimal nuclear agreement in the upcoming Moscow meeting.

Speaking to Khabar Online today, Sanaei, head of Iran and Russia Parliamentary friendship committee in Majlis hoped that due to hosting the next round of nuclear negotiations between Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council plus Germany, Russia will play a key role in talks and refreshment of “step-by-step plan”.
 
As a way out of Iran's nuclear dispute with the West powers, Russia formerly proposed a plan titled "the step-by-step approach” aimed at taking measures by the Islamic Republic to respond to the questions of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on its nuclear program. The plan was later revised to meet the demands of Tehran.
 
According to the plan which was proposed by Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Iran would enter into a new phase of negotiations on its nuclear program to ease the concerns of IAEA, and instead the West would remove a part of its economic sanctions imposed on Iran.
 
Sanaei said: "It seems that the realities in negotiations on Iran's nuclear program are different from what reflected in international media. We hope that the next round of negotiations won't be influenced by the approach media have so far adopted."
 
"What is evident in nuclear meetings is that the contradictory policies, putting the Islamic public of Iran under pressure from one hand and welcoming further negotiations at the same time will not work," he stated.
 
"As we saw in earlier round of talks last years, this approach didn't achieve a result," the member of national security and foreign policy commission of the Majlis suggested.
 
Sanaei went on to say: "The positive point of Baghdad meeting was that both Iran and 5+1 group [the United States, Russia, the UK, France, China plus Germany] at least became transparently informed of the demands of the other side."
 
"Due to the current need of the West and the influence of China and Russia on the negotiations, it is obviously expected from Moscow meeting to achieve minimal agreements," he added.
 
"The media hype followed by the Zionists tries to put two negative impacts on the talks in Moscow meeting: "It first attempts to increase the West's expectation as if Baghdad meeting was supposed to produce a very satisfactory outcome. Actually, creating great expectations is a method for damaging the negotiations since a minimal agreement and opening a way for pursuing the talks is enormously significant."
 
"The second damaging effect the West's media hype seeks to have on the talks is through raising problems about Iran's nuclear case [relating that to Iran's latest military advancements], head of the Iranian Center for Russia, Central Asia and Caucasus Studies in the Majlis stated.
 
Sanaei who sits for the city of Nahavand [in west of Iran] hoped that rationality will overwhelm Moscow meeting and while recognizing Iran's right in peaceful nuclear activities and uranium enrichment, the West adopts a method in confidence building, for example step-by-step approach.
 
Head of Iran and Russia parliamentary friendship committee then commented on the role Moscow is to play as the host of the next round of atomic negotiations: "Obviously Russia views Iranian nuclear program from a different position with that of the West powers.
 
“At the same time, Moscow's official policy toward the Islamic Republic's nuclear dispute with the West, particularly under Vladimir Putin, Russia is settling the dispute through negotiation."
 
"Therefore, it's also significant for Russia to prevent Moscow meeting to end inconclusive, because the result of the upcoming negotiations will prove the influence and more transparent position of Russian government on Iran's nuclear case," the senior lawmaker added.
 
Earlier Sanaei had said that the new presidential term of Putin will lead to a better perspective for Iran and Russia relations as Moscow will be more disapproved of the U.S. and the EU’s policies against the Islamic Republic.
 
He said that during the presidency of Dmitry Medvedev, Russia tended to show more moderate stance on the U.S. and in general the West's policies on Iran.
 
"However Putin will opt to take a hard position on the West and certainly the ties between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia will boost".
 
“Regarding issues including the U.S. missile shield in Europe and the Islamic Awakening in the Middle East region, the interests of the West powers and Russia have are in contrast with each other,” head of Iran and Russia parliamentary friendship committee stressed.
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