[Unofficial translation from Russian.]

We believe the initiative voiced by the IAEA chief on the fringes of the Davos Economic Forum for a timeout, according to which Iran would suspend its uranium enrichment work and the UN Security Council would simultaneously suspend the operation of its Resolution 1737, merits serious attention. Proceeding from this proposal, it is possible to search for a political way out of the situation surrounding the Iranian nuclear problem. This is the assessment voiced by Secretary of the Security Council of Russia Igor Ivanov during his recent visit to Teheran, where he had an opportunity to thoroughly exchange views on the situation around the Iranian nuclear problem with the top leadership of Iran.

The initiative of Mohamed ElBaradei is consonant with what we had earlier suggested and then found reflection in UNSC Resolution 1737 on Iran, which, in particular, stated that in the case of Iran's suspension of all its uranium enrichment activities the Council's sanctions would also be suspended. This would make it possible to launch a negotiation process in the interests of a political settlement to the Iranian nuclear problem on the basis of the previously made proposals of the Six.

The situation surrounding Iran's nuclear program remains complicated, but a solution can still be found, in our opinion, given a constructive position of Iran and the establishment of necessary conditions for launching the negotiation process. It is in this direction that we are continuing to work both with our Iranian colleagues and with the partners in the Six. In doing so we presume that there is no way other than the negotiation path for resolving the Iranian nuclear problem.