Russia has hailed Iran’s preparedness to resume talks with the P5+1 group of world powers to address the West’s concerns over its nuclear energy program.

On Thursday, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov welcomed the announcement as a “positive signal” from Iran, adding that practical steps should follow, RIA Novosti news agency reported.

Ryabkov urged Iran and the P5+1 -- Russia, China, France, Britain, and the United States plus Germany -- to agree as soon as possible on the date and venue of a new round of negotiations.

The Russian diplomat also stated that Moscow is concerned that Tehran has not yet formed a delegation to negotiate with the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany on its nuclear energy issue.

“The process of forming a delegation is not yet completed, and this causes our concern. We are also concerned by the fact that the date and venue of the six-party talks are yet to be agreed,” Ryabkov said.

On Friday, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran reiterated the country’s readiness to allay Western concerns over its nuclear energy program in a “win-win manner.”

“Although we deem the nuclear dossier concocted, we are ready to allay the West’s concerns on the basis of international laws and conventions,” Ali Akbar Salehi said.

On Thursday, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani officially assigned the Foreign Ministry to take charge of future nuclear talks with the P5+1. The talks were previously conducted by Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.

In August, European Union foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton, who heads the P5+1 group’s delegation to the talks, and Rouhani expressed readiness to enter into “meaningful” negotiations.

The United States, Israel, and some of their allies have repeatedly accused Iran of pursuing non-civilian objectives in its nuclear energy program.

Iran rejects the allegations, arguing that as a committed signatory to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and a member of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), it has the right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes.

In addition, the IAEA has conducted numerous inspections of Iran's nuclear facilities but has never found any evidence showing that the Iranian nuclear program has been diverted toward military objectives.

HK