PRESS RELEASE

A meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the E3+3 (Russia, UK, China, US, France and Germany) on the Iranian nuclear program, with the participation of EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton, took place on the sidelines of the 65th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 22. They discussed in detail a further strategy of the Six on the negotiation track to engage Iran in a constructive dialogue in the spirit of mutual respect and on the basis of the proposal packages of both parties, of 2008 and 2009.

The meeting was attended by Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation Sergey Lavrov, who especially noted that the Iranian nuclear problem could only be solved by politico-diplomatic methods. For this to happen it was necessary to take vigorous practical steps for expeditiously organizing the next meeting of Iran with the E3+3, and in parallel – negotiations of the Vienna Group (Russia, France and the US), Iran and the IAEA on the realization of a scheme for the exchange of Iran's low-enriched uranium for fuel for the Tehran Research Reactor. He stressed that this project had not lost its potential and relevance. Its successful implementation would contribute to the creation of a positive atmosphere that was needed to start dialogue on a broader range of issues connected with the Iranian nuclear program.

The E3+3 reiterated the unity of their objective – the need to restore confidence in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program as soon as possible. Iran has the full right to develop a civilian nuclear program, but responsibility also lies on it for compliance with the relevant resolutions of the UN Security Council and decisions of the IAEA Board of Governors.

At the conclusion of the meeting Catherine Ashton made a statement on behalf of the E3+3 (the text of the statement is posted separately on the Russian MFA website).

September 23, 2010