The president of the European Council says he is very positive about the resumption of nuclear talks with Iran.
Bloomberg reports that Herman Van Rompuy said on Friday in Brussels that international talks with Iran about its nuclear program give “reason to hope” that Iran is serious about resolving its nuclear disputes.
He told reporters that there is evidence that “Iran will engage in a sustained process of serious dialogue on the nuclear issue”, adding that international sanctions have been instrumental in bringing Iran to the table.
The U.S. and the European Union have imposed widespread sanctions on Iran’s financial institutions and oil industry in recent months.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has warned the EU that the oil embargo on Iran that is to take effect on July 1 will be very costly.
Reuters reports that Lavrov said such an embargo will eventually end up harming EU member states.
He maintained that many EU states are dependent on Iranian oil. “We can claim that the shortage of Iranian oil may be over; however, some refineries are specifically designed around Iranian oil imports and will need major investment to adapt to changes, and the EU is not in a position to sustain this kind of cost,” Lavrov expanded.
While Russia has backed UN sanctions against Iran, it has objected to all unilateral sanctions against Iran.
