UNITED NATIONS, March 8: Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Wednesday ‘there is no alternative’ to a peaceful resolution of the Iranian issue, asserting that ‘no international crisis can be resolved by the introduction of sanctions’.

Talking to reporters following a meeting with UN Secretary General Kofi Annan, Mr Lavrov said: “We must rely on the professionalism of the IAEA and the nuclear non-proliferation regime. As far as I know, Great Britain and Germany have identical positions.”

Diplomats at the United Nations believe the Iranian issue may be considered by the UN Security Council next week, but Mr Lavrov said no decision had been made so far.

“The previous session of the IAEA Board of Governors adopted a resolution that the outcome of the discussions in February and March would be among the documents about which the Security Council would be informed,” Mr Lavrov observed, commenting on the decision.