Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) shaking hands with China's President Xi Jinping in Beijing. AFP
Whether Iran, in its negotiations with the United States, decides to “pause” or “insists on preserving this right,” Russia will accept “any approach based on this principle, the principle of the universality of the right to enrichment,” Lavrov told reporters in Beijing, where he was on a two-day visit this week.
Lavrov emphasized that Russia and China “firmly support” the talks to end the Mideast war, “so that the parties can advance realistic and fair goals, fully respecting the legitimate rights of each party, in accordance with international law.”
Russia’s top diplomat also reiterated that Moscow was ready “to play a role in solving the problem of enriched uranium” in Iran.
“This role can take on many forms, including reprocessing highly enriched uranium into fuel-grade uranium, transferring a certain amount to Russia for storage. Anything that is acceptable to Iran without, I repeat, violating its inalienable right, like the right of any other state, to enrich uranium for peaceful purposes,” Lavrov told reporters in Beijing.
Russia was part of the 2015 deal between Iran and six nuclear powers offering sanctions relief for Tehran in exchange for curbing its atomic program and opening it to broader international scrutiny. As part of the deal, Moscow removed large amounts of enriched uranium from Iran.
The Kremlin offered political support to Iran when the U.S. unilaterally withdrew from the agreement during Trump’s first term.
In response to a question about the Hormuz blockage, Lavrov said that Russia could make up for China's energy shortages as shipping through the Strait of Hormuz is choked by the US-Israeli war on Iran, Russian state media reported Wednesday.
"Russia can, without a doubt, compensate for the shortfall in resources that has arisen" for China and "other countries that are interested in working with us" he said.
He also said that Russian President Vladimir Putin will visit China in the first half of the year, Moscow's TASS state news agency reported.
Lavrov, who met the Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, characterised the bilateral relationship as "unshakable in the face of any storms", Russia's TASS and RIA Novosti news agencies reported.
Ties between the countries "play a stabilising role in world affairs" and are "becoming increasingly important... for the global majority that does not want problems or turbulence", he said.
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