Moscow: Russia condemned unilateral European Union sanctions imposed against Iran's energy sector as "unacceptable" on Tuesday, saying the move showed a disregard for the UN Security Council and would undermine collective international efforts to resolve the issue.
"We have already said many times that we consider unacceptable, the practice of unilateral or collective sanctions measures against Iran, that go beyond the Security Council sanctions regime in operation in the country," the Foreign Ministry said. “The EU sanctions, "like the package of additional restrictive measures passed previously by the US, go far beyond the resolution of nonproliferation issues in the context of Iran's nuclear programme and don't facilitate reaching a political and diplomatic solution of the problem as soon as possible.”
The statement came after EU foreign ministers, on Monday, formally adopted new sanctions on Iran's key energy sector, in a bid to force it to return to talks on its controversial nuclear programme.
Russian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Andrei Nesterenko said, on Tuesday, that the move "not only undermines our joint strength in the search for a political-diplomatic resolution of the situation around Iran's nuclear programme, but demonstrates scorn for the carefully developed and agreed-upon position of the UN Security Council resolution."
Russia, a member of the sextet negotiating with Iran, supported the UN sanctions adopted last month, but has now objected to stronger measures.
President Dmitry Medvedev declared earlier this month that Iran was close to having the potential to build a nuclear weapon, the first time a Russian leader had warned so explicitly of the dangers of the Iranian nuclear programme.
In the face of rising tensions, the energy ministers of the two countries met earlier this month with energy-hungry Iran winning a pledge from Moscow to supply fuel, despite unilateral US and EU sanctions targeting its energy sector. Moscow is helping Tehran to build its first nuclear power station in Bushehr in a much-delayed project due to come online this summer.
Iran is under four sets of UN sanctions over its refusal to heed repeated Security Council ultimatums to suspend uranium enrichment, the most controversial part of its nuclear programme. The country claims to be enriching uranium purely for peaceful use, but Western powers are concerned that it intends to develop a nuclear weapon.
The EU sanctions include a ban on new investment in or equipment sales to Iran's oil and natural-gas industries, restrictions on export-credit guarantees and insurance, and closer monitoring of banks doing business with Iran.
