(Adds paragraphs 5-6)
MOSCOW, March 29 (RIA Novosti) - Moscow still supports political and diplomatic ways to resolve the crisis around Iran's controversial nuclear programs, Russia's foreign minister said Wednesday.
Sergei Lavrov said he would discuss a strategy to resolve this problem with his counterparts from the United States and China at an upcoming meeting in Berlin.
"This strategy should be based on the professionalism of the IAEA [the UN's nuclear watchdog] because this agency should control the implementation of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. The non-proliferation regime should remain the only issue of our discussions on the strategy implementation," he said.
Russia, which is helping Iran build a $800-million nuclear power plant at Bushehr, has consistently called for the problem to be resolved within the competence of the International Atomic Energy Agency, whereas other countries have called for the UN to impose sanctions on Tehran.
Lavrov said Russia supported IAEA work to remove all doubts regarding the Iranian nuclear program.
Any ideas of a military solution, which officials in Washington have refused to rule out, "are counter-productive and could not be supported," Lavrov said.
