Moscow against any new anti-Iran resolution: envoy

23 August 2008 FOCUS News Agency

Moscow . Russian Ambassador to Tehran Alexander Sadovnikov said on Saturday that Moscow has never sought any new resolution against Iran's peaceful nuclear program.

Talking to IRNA, he expressed the hope that Iran's all-out cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency would help find a logical and realistic solution to the issue. On the Caspian Sea issues, the ambassador said Iran and Russia share identical views regarding the affairs related to the Caucasus region, including those of the Caspian Sea.

Moscow believes that Tehran plays a key role in improving the regional stability and security, he said. Washington is trying to infiltrate into the Caucasus and Caspian regions by branding Moscow as a threat to regional interest, he said, reiterating that Russia has always been interested in establishing peace and security in the region.

Moscow will never ignore its regional and national interest, he said, noting that Iran and Russia share common views regarding the issue and respect each other's interest and rights. Russia is against military presence of any non-regional state in the Caspian Sea, he said, stressing that NATO and the West are attempting to dictate their policies to the regional states and are willing to infiltrate into the Caspian Sea and the Caucasus.

On Iran-Russia bilateral relations, Sadovnikov said Moscow is very much interested in further expansion of ties with Tehran, adding that such a cooperation would play a key role in establishing regional security. He underlined the need for Tehran-Moscow close cooperation in combat against contraband, weapons, narcotic drugs and human smuggling. The Russian ambassador reiterated that the regional problems should be solved by the regional states since military presence of any foreign state will tilt the regional balance.