Print

Mail

wiki links

Russia and Iran seal deal to finish nuclear reactor

Russia on Monday sealed a deal with Iran to finish assembling a nuclear reactor in the southern part of the country, provide fuel rods and retrieve the spent fuel, and indicated it could build another six reactors in the oil-rich country.

The countries' two atomic energy chiefs signed off on the contract in the port city of Bushehr, where Teheran has been trying to build a nuclear power plant for more than 30 years. Russia will supply nuclear fuel rods for a first reactor already nearing completion in the city. Operations could begin late next year.

The agreement comes as the US and Europe are trying to keep Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Washington hinted on Monday that it is re-evaluating its tough strategy to deter such research, after a week of talks to find common ground with Europe.

Iran, Russia and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director Mohamed ElBaradei insist that Teheran has no military intentions for its nuclear effort. But the US and Europe believe that Iran has tried to cloak a uranium enrichment program -- normally used to manufacture weapons-grade nuclear fuel -- from international investigators.

The US has urged Russian President Vladimir Putin to abandon the reactor project, arguing that Iran, the Middle East's second-biggest oil producer, doesn't need nuclear energy and intends to use the reactor for a secret weapons program.

Germany, France and Britain -- the so-called Europe 3 -- want to negotiate with Iran and provide incentives to drop its nuclear ambitions, while the US has until now opposed such sweeteners and insists that Teheran dismantle the program with verification from the IAEA, or face sanctions from the UN Security Council.

On Monday in Brussels, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said that plans to finish the Bushehr plant did not breach international rules. But he also urged the US to join European efforts to persuade Teheran to abandon its nuclear ambitions.

"Russia and the EU have established close cooperation to make sure that the Iranian nuclear program is peaceful," Lavrov said.

US support for such efforts would be "helpful," he added.

In Washington, the White House said it had "continuing concerns" about "Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program."

"Russia has previously assured us that no nuclear fuel should be delivered to Iran until Iran comes into compliance with its international obligations, and that any spent nuclear fuel must be returned to Russia," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

Washington also expects Iran to "ratify and adhere to the additional protocol" of the IAEA, and believes the fuel take-back set up is "important to reducing any proliferation concerns."

It was not clear whether economic incentives such as trade were on the table to persuade Iran, with Washington officials cautioning against any such speculation.

McClellan noted a recent change in Iran's attitude toward the IAE hinted that "good discussions" with European leaders on "spreading democracy and freedom" in the Middle East could form part of the Iranian solution.

Over the weekend, the Washington Post, citing diplomats and US officials, reported that Iran bought centrifuge designs and a starter kit for uranium enrichment 18 years ago from associates of Pakistani scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan.

Under Monday's deal with Russia, Moscow will provide nuclear fuel to Iran and later take back the spent fuel, a step meant as a safeguard to prevent diversion of nuclear material into a weapons program.

Three protocols were signed by Russian atomic energy chief Alexander Rumyantsev and his Iranian counterpart Gholam-Reza Aqazadeh, after three rounds of talks over the weekend.
This story has been viewed 4033 times.