Russia will make all possible efforts to ensure that a deal on Iran's nuclear program is reached, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Saturday.
"I want to reassure you that Russia will do everything in its power, like before, so that the agreement, satisfying the Iranian side, ensuring Iran's rights in the nuclear sphere is reached," Ryabkov, who is Russia's envoy to the ongoing Iran nuclear talks, told journalists, Sputnik reported.
Russia is against unilateral sanctions and pressure on Tehran, he noted. "And it is important that now we are close to a solution which would relieve the Iranian people, the Iranian state from this sanctions pressure," Ryabkov added.
Russia is one of the so-called P5+1 group of mediators (the five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany) that have until the end of June to hammer out a final nuclear deal with Iran to settle the long-running dispute over Tehran's nuclear program.
The West has been pressuring Tehran over the activities which it claims may be aimed at developing a nuclear weapons capability. The Islamic Republic maintains its nuclear program is solely for peaceful purposes.
On Thursday, the US Senate passed the Iran Nuclear Agreement Review Act requiring congressional review of any nuclear deal with Iran, in a move that is feared to impede the negotiations.
But Ryabkov said Moscow does not regard the passage of the US legislation as a threat to the Iran nuclear talks.
"I do not think there is a threat that anti-Iran or anti-Russia forces in the US Congress would resort to procedural tricks or use provisions of this legislation to torpedo the agreements," the senior Russian diplomat said.
Following the passage of the bill, US Senator Bob Menendez confirmed to Sputnik that US and Iranian negotiators will now face additional oversight. Under the bill, Congress will have 30 days after a final deal is reached to review the accord with Iran and pass a resolution of approval or disapproval.
