Tehran, March 14 -- China, Russia and Iran have called for an end of all "illegal and unilateral sanctions" and urged for abandoning "threats of force" against Tehran, as per a joint statement, following talks between the three countries in Beijing on Friday.

The meeting between the three countries comes after Iran rejected the US proposal to restart nuclear negotiations.

In a joint statement released today, the three countries said diplomatic engagement and dialogue based on "mutual respect" were the "only effective and viable options" for addressing the issue of Iran's nuclear programme.

"The three countries emphasised the need to end all illegal unilateral sanctions. Relevant parties should address root causes, abandon sanctions, pr...