MOSCOW, Jan. 9 (Xinhuanet) -- Russia and Iran have broad consensuson issues concerning the region's development, head of Russia's delegation to Iran said as quoted by the RIA-Novosti news agency Monday.

    Valentin Sobolev, deputy secretary of National Security Council, held talks with Iranian officials on Sunday to discuss possible ways of settling Iran's standoff with the West over the country's nuclear work.

    "Cooperation concerning conflict zones in the region, fighting drugs and terrorism will continue on, we have common goals here," said Sobolev.

    Russia would also continue to participate in joint projects and research as "Iran is our long-term partner, our ties are tried by time and fate," Sobolev stressed.

    Iran and Russia began talks Saturday on a Russian-proposed compromise plan of joint uranium enrichment.

    Last month, Moscow delivered to Iran a written proposal that Tehran carry out uranium enrichment on Russian territory, which Iran has said is not concrete and needs to be clarified.

    Both the European Union (EU) and the United States have backed the proposal in principle.

    Iran has said that it has a legal and undeniable right to enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel, and will reject any suggestion on enrichment abroad.

    Based on Washington's accusation that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons secretly, the EU insists that Iran's complete command of uranium enrichment could lead to military use of the technology.

    Following Tehran's announcement last Tuesday that it had decided to resume research work on nuclear fuel soon, the EU warned that such a decision will endanger a new round of bilateralnuclear talks due on Jan. 18. Enditem