TEHRAN - Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova has said that at Moscow's request, some necessary provisions had been added to the text of a possible Vienna agreement to ensure cooperation between Tehran and Moscow on nuclear projects.

“The situation in the international arena is changing rapidly, and the hostile attacks of the United States and the European Union on Russia have made us think about preventing obstructions to international cooperation with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Zakharova said, according to IRNA. 
 
She added, “Additional necessary provisions are included in the text of the forthcoming agreement to ensure that all projects and areas of activity envisaged in the JCPOA, including cooperation with Iran at the Bushehr nuclear power plant, are protected from the negative effects of U.S. and EU sanctions against Russia.”

She pointed out that Moscow was not to blame for the slow pace of the Vienna talks.

"We have not delayed the process of reaching an agreement to resume the implementation of the JCPOA," she continued.

Zakharova's statements are similar to what Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said during his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir Abdollahian. 

"We discussed in detail the current situation around the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action on Iran's nuclear program," Lavrov said. "We are in favor of the earliest possible resumption of full implementation of this agreement, which was backed by the UN Security Council resolution, on the basis of the original balance of interests contained therein.”

The remarks were made during a visit by Amir Abdollahian to Moscow. "We are waiting for the U.S. to return to the legal framework of this nuclear deal, and we are also waiting for the lifting of the illegal sanctions the U.S. has imposed to hurt not only Iran and its people, but a number of other countries," Lavrov pointed out, according to Russian TASS news agency. 

The Iranian foreign minister, for his part, said the U.S. new demands are hampering the conclusion of the Vienna talks. "Russia is not creating any obstacles towards reaching agreements, there is no connection between the developments in Ukraine that we talked about and the Vienna talks," he stressed, according to TASS. 

He added, “We hope that the Americans will give up their unbridled demands right as we get close to reaching [the deal], and we will be able to announce a good deal in the near future, so to speak, with the support of all parties that are involved in the Vienna talks."

During their meeting in Moscow, the foreign ministers of Iran and Russia discussed bilateral relations and regional as well as international issues of mutual interest.

The Iranian foreign minister stressed that the process of developing relations with neighbors and Russia will be defined and continue regardless of any third party or international developments, and regardless of the outcome of the talks in Vienna, according to the Iranian Foreign Ministry.

Amir Abdollahian reviewed the latest developments in Vienna and described Russia's approach as constructive and empathetic during the past 11 months of talks and expressed confidence that this approach will continue until a good and reliable agreement is reached.

He said it is a fundamental principle that the definitive interests of the Iranian people determine the path of the Iranian Foreign Ministry and the negotiating team in Vienna. Amir Abdollahian stressed that the ball is in America’s court, and if Washington responds to the few remaining important issues and refrains from killing the time any further, the parties can return to Vienna as soon as possible to conclude the talks.