Russia's Lavrov to visit Iran for nuclear talks

'A visit by Sergei Lavrov to Iran is planned for December 10 to 11,' says a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry.

MOSCOW: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is set to visit Tehran next week to discuss bilateral relations and Iran's nuclear programme after its leadership agreed a landmark deal on limiting enrichment.

"A visit by Sergei Lavrov to Iran is planned for December 10 to 11," a spokeswoman for the foreign ministry told AFP.

During the visit, Lavrov plans to discuss "bilateral relations, regional problems and regulating the questions over (Iran's) nuclear programme in the context of the agreements reached recently in Geneva," the spokeswoman said.

Iran and world powers in Geneva last month agreed to freeze aspects of Iran's nuclear programme in exchange for a modest easing of the sanctions regime.

Iran denies that it is working to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a peaceful nuclear programme as suspected by Western powers and Israel.

Russia has aided Iran, a key regional ally since the Soviet era, in developing nuclear power generation, and completed the construction of its only functioning nuclear power station at Bushehr.

Iran is to hold expert-level talks with major powers on its nuclear programme next week in Vienna.