MOSCOW, Jan. 17 (Xinhuanet) -- To impose sanctions on Tehran is not the best alternative to solve the Iranian nuclear dispute, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday.

    "Sanctions are in no way the best or the only way to solve the problem," Lavrov was quoted by the Itar-Tass news agency as telling a press conference, adding the question of sanctions is "placing the cart in front of the horse."

    The European Union has called for an emergency session of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to vote on referring Iran to the UN Security Council to face possible economic sanctions after Iran resumed nuclear research last week.

    Moscow said it might not block attempts on such a referral.

    "The positions of Russia, China and the other permanent members of the UN Security Council are identical in the sense that the nuclear non-proliferation regime must be observed," Lavrov said.

    Lavrov urged Iran to continue cooperating with the IAEA to clarify lingering issues about the past of its nuclear program.

    "Iran should do much more than it has done," he said. Enditem