'Sanctions not affecting Iran-Russia ties'

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=129933§ionid=351020104


Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says a new UN Security Council resolution against Iran will not halt Russia's ties with the Islamic republic.

Lavrov, who was accompanying Russian President Dmitry Medvedev on a visit to Uzbekistan, said Moscow will go on with a contract to deliver the S-300 air defense system to Iran.

"As far as military-technical cooperation is concerned, the resolution introduces limits to cooperation with Iran on offensive weapons and defensive weapons do not fall under these limits," AFP quoted Lavrov as saying on Thursday.

The Russian top diplomat also noted that Moscow was in talks to build more nuclear reactors for Iran, and that the fresh sanctions would not affect Russia's economic ties with Tehran.

"We have secured absolute protection for all the principally important channels of trade and economic cooperation which exist between Russia and Iran," he said.

"The resolution does not put up any barriers to these ties, including not only the completion of the Bushehr project but also the construction of any number of new light water reactors such as the Bushehr type," Lavrov stated.

"Our Iranian partners and us have such plans," he said.