Sergei Kiriyenko (2nd R), head of the Russian state nuclear monopoly Rosatom, and head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization Ali Akbar Salehi (2nd L) attend a signing ceremony in Moscow.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and his US counterpart John Kerry called on Wednesday for an agreement on a nuclear deal with Iran to be reached as soon as possible.

“The need to reach as soon as possible a comprehensive agreement which would allow to fully normalize the situation around the Iranian nuclear program has been acknowledged,” the Russian foreign ministry said following a call between Lavrov and Kerry.

They spoke after Iran and world powers met in Oman on Tuesday amid signs that an elusive deal on Tehran’s nuclear program might not be struck by a November 24 deadline.

Russia’s chief negotiator Sergei Ryabkov said after Tuesday’s talks that he was still “reasonably optimistic”.

The agreement is aimed at easing Western suspicions over Tehran’s nuclear intentions as well as damaging sanctions on the Iranian economy.

On Tuesday, Russia signed a contract to build two nuclear reactors at the existing Russian-built Bushehr plant and announced plans for a total of nine.

 
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