Iran, Russia Meet On Proposal To Enrich Uranium In Russia

Dow Jones Newswires:

Iran and Russia began talks Saturday to clarify what Tehran has described as "ambiguities" in a Russian proposal that the two nations enrich uranium in Russian territory, Iranian state-run television reported.

"The two sides are expected to discuss the Russian proposal about joint uranium enrichment (in Russia) and also uranium enrichment in Iran," said the spokesman of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Hossein Entezami, the television reported. The council handles Iran's nuclear negotiations with the international community. READ MORE

Iran has asked Moscow to clarify what it has called "ambiguities" in the proposal, and insisted it won't agree if the plan denies Iran uranium enrichment at home.

The Russian proposal, backed by European countries and the United States, is aimed at getting Iran to move uranium enrichment completely off its territory to ensure its nuclear program can't produce weapons.

Enriched uranium can be used for nuclear reactors or nuclear weapons, depending on the degree of enrichment.

Tehran says its nuclear program is for electricity generation, despite U.S. and European concerns that it is moving to produce bombs.

The Europeans are hoping the compromise would foster a breakthrough in deadlocked negotiations. Talks between Iran and the U.K., France and Germany, which resumed last month, have made little progress, but are to continue this month.

Tuesday, Iran informed the International Atomic Energy Agency, the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, that it has decided to resume research into nuclear fuel production, a step that has only increased concerns in the West that Iran is moving toward production of nuclear weapons.

Tehran has not specified what research it will resume, and Entezami said IAEA inspectors will arrive in Iran in the next few days to monitor it.