Iran letting chance for dialogue slip away: Russia

Russia on Friday warned Iran it was missing out on a chance to start a broad dialogue, as U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton again sought to win the Kremlin's assent for tougher stance on Tehran and as she annopunced that both Moscow and Washington were "on the brink" of signing an arms deal.

Iran's defiance over its nuclear programme means the country is wasting a chance for talks to find a solution, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said alongside Clinton after her talks with President Dmitry Medvedev.

"It is letting an opportunity to establish dialogue with the international community slip away," Lavrov said.

The top diplomats addressed reporters following Clinton's meeting with President Dmitry Medvedev and just before her talks with Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, considered the country's top decision-maker.

Clinton is making a two-day visit to Russia where one of her main aims is to shore up support for a Russian tougher line against Iran.

Lavrov's comments were the latest indication of Russian frustration that Iran has failed to agree a deal with the international community to end the standoff over its nuclear program.

Russia -- a veto-wielding permanent U.N. Security Council member -- traditionally has strong ties with Iran, but Medvedev has repeatedly said sanctions against Tehran cannot be ruled out if necessary.

Clinton said Washington was now seeking support for "smart sanctions" against Tehran, a line that recalled the Kremlin's policy that any measures against Iran needed to be intelligent and targeted.

"We pursued the diplomatic track and thought it was correct to do so," she told reporters at Medvedev's Barvikha residence just outside Moscow.

"We... are working very hard in the Security Council to obtain a resolution expressing the international community's disapproval of Iranian actions and pulling together... a regime of smart sanctions as President Medvedev has referred to them."

Medvedev called for targeted sanctions against Iran on a visit to Paris earlier this month, saying they should be "smart" and not target the civilian population.

It (Iran) is letting an opportunity to establish dialogue with the international community slip away

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov

"On the brink" of an arms deal

Clinton, meanwhile, said that Russia and the United States are "on the brink" of signing a new nuclear disarmament treaty after resolving all outstanding issues.

Russian and U.S. negotiators have been in intense talks to agree a successor to the 1991 Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START) which expired in December, but have so far failed to reach a final accord.

"We are encouraged by progress on a new START treaty," Clinton said after talks with Medvedev.

"Our negotiating teams have reported that they had resolved all of the major issues. There are some technical issues that remain. But we are on the brink of signing a new agreement between the United States and Russia."

Lavrov echoed her upbeat comments on the chances for a new agreement, which would target drastic reductions in the nuclear arsenals of the Cold War-era foes.

"We believe that in the nearest time we can count on the finishing of negotiations on a new agreement," Lavrov said alongside Clinton.

The comments represented a clear indication by the top diplomats that a new treaty is close, after media reports said the search for a new agreement has been stymied by major policy differences.

However neither in their comments gave any hint of when and where a new treaty could be signed by Presidents Barack Obama and Medvedev.

The Russian media has reported that the two presidents would like to sign the final agreement in an Eastern European capital before the United States hosts a nuclear security summit from April 12-13.

We are encouraged by progress on a new START treaty

U.S. State Secretary Hillary Clinton