(Xinhua)
Updated: 2008-01-22 22:58

MOSCOW -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Tuesday renewed his call for peaceful negotiations to resolve the dispute over Iran's nuclear program.

"We are convinced that the problem cannot be resolved through violence, and there is no alternative to involving Iran in the conflict resolution process," Lavrov said in an article published in the Diplomatic Year Book 2007.

The United States has a decisive role to play in the process, the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Lavrov as saying in the article.

Lavrov is expected to join his counterparts from Britain, Germany, China, the United States and France in Berlin later in the day to discuss ways of breaking the stalemate over Tehran's controversial nuclear program.

The United States accused Iran of trying to build nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian program. Iran insisted its nuclear plan is completely for peaceful purposes and has pledged to clear up all remaining questions over its nuclear program by late February.