Rouhani: Iran will not replace Russian gas export to Europe

Iran will not export natural gas to Europe if Russia stops its exports, the country’s President Hassan Rouhani said yesterday.

Speaking to a Russian magazine, Rouhani said: “We will not be an alternative for Russia if it stops exporting natural gas to Europe.”

Meanwhile, he said that Iran is ready to export its products to Russia in order to help it resist the sanctions imposed by the West.

“We will offer all kinds of help to the Russian government and people,” Rouhani said. “As soon as the needed measures are finalised [next year], the Russians will find Iranian production on the shelves of the Russian shops.”

The president said that Iran and Russia have agreed to begin trading with each other’s products, noting that this deal had been reached a long time before the European sanctions.

Regarding the nuclear talks with the P5+1, Rouhani said: “It is possible to reach positive results if the international group were determined to end the crisis.”