Putin: Iran Nuclear Issue Close to Final Settlement

Vladimir Putin welcomes the flexibility of Iran's leadership regarding the nuclear program negotiations. The Russian President hopes the final agreement will be signed soon.

MOSCOW, December 18 (Sputnik) – The Iranian nuclear issue is close to its final settlement; the country’s leadership is demonstrating considerable flexibility, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday.

“We are very close to the settlement of this problem [Iranian nuclear issue]. The Iranian leadership is demonstrating great flexibility, I believe. And I do not understand why the final deal has not been inked yet. I hope it will happen in the near future,” Putin said at a press conference.

Putin added that a visit to the Iranian capital Tehran is currently being discussed through diplomatic channels.

“My trip to Tehran is possible, we are currently arranging it through diplomatic channels… I have been to Tehran. We have had regular meetings but the trip is important not for the sake of the trip,” Putin said at a press conference.

“If we find that we need a separate meeting [with the Iranian president], then we have no limits. We have no limits regarding any sort of external pressure,” Putin added.

The P5+1 group of six world powers comprising Russia, the United States, the United Kingdom, France, China and Germany joined diplomatic efforts back in 2006 in an attempt to reach a deal with Tehran authorities assuring the peaceful nature of the Iranian nuclear program. The parties failed to reach a conclusion by the deadline of November 24 and agreed to continue the discussions until July 2015.

The West accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons under the guise of a civilian atomic energy program. Tehran says it wants enrichment capabilities to develop reactor fuel, and for other peaceful purposes.

The UN Security Council, the European Union, the United States and a number of other countries have imposed several rounds of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.