Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Iran

Iran, Russia Resume Nuclear Negotiations

Iranian and Russian workers cooperating at the Bushehr reactor core (file photo released by Iranian government) (epa)

8 January 2006 -- National security representatives from Iran and Russia have resumed nuclear negotiations on forming a joint consortium for uranium enrichment on Russian soil.

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January 08, 2006

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi called the trend of the talks in Tehran positive. He expressed hope that the two sides would reach a settlement while maintaining Iran's right to pursue nuclear technology. The first round of the talks on 7 January ended inconclusively but with both sides vowing to continue the dialogue.

Javad Vaeidi of the Iranian National Security Council denied that Russia is threatening to stop cooperation on building a nuclear power plant at Bushehr in an effort to push Tehran into accepting the enrichment plan.

Vaeidi also rejected the European Union's 7 January warning to Iran not to resume research work. Some Western powers suspect Iran's enrichment program is aimed at developing nuclear weapons -- which Iran denies.

Iran has also been criticized by the UN nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), for a number of failures to disclose information relating to nuclear activities.

(dpa and other news reports)

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