Russia Voices Concerns About UN Sanctions on Iran

Russia, a key member of the United Nations Security council whose assent will be essential in invoking any further UN sanctions again Iran over its civilian nuclear energy program, has voiced concerns on the way current sanctions are being implemented.

Aleksandr Pankin, Russia's deputy permanent representative at the UN, said during debates on a report by UN experts on Iran's nuclear program, that Moscow had concerns about the objectivity of the report, Interfax news agency reported.

The U.S., France, and the United Kingdom are insisting on publishing the report, but Russia questions this proposal. Pankin said, "Russia is strictly adhering to the sanctions regime," and called on all the other countries to act the same way, adding, "Russia favors a solution based on dialogue, which should be reached in a diplomatic way. Unconfirmed and over-politicized information won't help."

Russia with China’s support has been stalling the publication of the report submitted to the Security Council’s Iran sanctions committee by an independent panel of experts that accuses Iran of breeching a UN arms embargo by shipping weapons to Syria. In another issue of concern to the UN Security council, Russia is the main contractor for Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, which a number of UN member states led by the U.S. and Israel allege conceals a covert military program to develop nuclear weapons, a charge strongly denied by Iran.

By. Charles Kennedy, Deputy Editor OilPrice.com