Russia welcomes U.S. offer of direct talks with Iran

Russia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday said it welcomes the U.S. proposal to hold direct talks with Iran on its nuclear program.

Photo: Russia welcomes U.S. offer of direct talks with Iran

"We are convinced that there is no sensible alternative other than talks to resolving these problems, as with other crisis situations in the modern world," the ministry said in a statement.

It added that Moscow "hopes that the participation of the USA in the talks process will lead to an improvement in American-Iranian relations."

Russia strongly opposes any possible military action against Iran in the tensions over whether Tehran is using its nuclear energy program to develop atomic weapons. Tehran says the program is to make energy, not weapons.

The United States on Wednesday said it is willing to join other countries for face-to-face talks with Iran, as long as Tehran stops enriching uranium. Iran on Thursday welcomed the prospect of talks, but rebuffed the condition of halting enrichment.

The former Soviet republics of Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan, which border Iran, also welcomed the U.S. proposal, reports AP.

O.Ch.