Sergei Lavrov

"Clarity in all remaining issues of the Iranian nuclear program is not only necessary, but would also primarily serve the interests of Iran itself," Lavrov said.

Western powers suspect Iran of seeking to build nuclear weapons under the guise of its nuclear program, which Tehran says is aimed at the peaceful generation of civilian energy.

Iran should provide the required level of transparency and cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Lavrov said.

Responsibility for solving the issues also lies with the so-called Iran Six group, which includes Britain, China, France, Germany, the United States and Russia, Lavrov added.

Tehran wrote to IAEA Director General Yukio Amano in July, expressing Iran's readiness to hold technical discussions on the supply of 20%-enriched fuel for use in its Tehran scientific research reactor.

Russia welcomed Tehran's proposals, but the rest of the Iran Six group have yet to provide a clear response to the Iranian initiative.

Lavrov said the problem of solving the nuclear issue was also caused by "imperfections in the existing nuclear nonproliferation regime."

"The approach to its solution [Iranian nuclear problem] must be systemic and necessarily based on international law," Lavrov said, adding that the talks' process requires stimulation as sanctions do not normally produce the desired results.

The UN Security Council passed a resolution on June 9 imposing a fourth set of sanctions on Iran over its nuclear program.

Iran's nuclear chief Ali Akbar Salehi reaffirmed Tehran's commitment to begin construction of a new uranium enrichment center in 2011. Iran plans to build a total of ten such centers in the future.

RIA Novosti