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Russia for limited curbs against Iran

Vladimir Radyuhin

MOSCOW: Russia has demanded sweeping changes to a European draft resolution on Iran that would drastically scale down proposed sanctions against Tehran and define conditions for lifting them.

"What the European `troika' has drawn up goes way beyond what was agreed," Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said .

The draft prepared by Britain, France and Germany calls for preventing the sale and supply of equipment, technology and financing that may contribute to Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programmes. It also would freeze the assets of people and companies involved in these programmes and bar them from travelling.

Russia wants the sanctions to be limited to a ban on the supply of nuclear weapons and ballistic missile technologies.

Mr. Lavrov told reporters on Saturday that Russia would only support the Iran resolution if it includes "a clear-cut time deadline" for sanctions and "a mechanism for waiving these measures." "We don't disagree with the need to continue influencing Iranians, but only with the purpose to impress upon them the need to come back to the negotiating table," Mr. Lavrov said.

Moscow also wants no mention in the draft of the Bushehr nuclear power station Russia is building in Iran.

Washington, meanwhile, views the European proposals as not going far enough and promised to table its amendments to the draft.

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