Iran 'positive' on Russian uranium enrichment plan

Possible breakthrough?

http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=105058

Iran 'positive' on Russian uranium enrichment plan

Iran expressed qualified support for a plan to enrich its uranium on Russian territory but vowed to start industrial-scale enrichment at home if it is hauled before the UN Security Council.

"We positively evaluate this offer," top Iranian negotiator Ali Larijani was quoted as saying Wednesday by RIA Novosti agency after talks with Russian security and energy officials in Moscow.

He added that "this plan can be perfected" during further Russian-Iranian talks planned next month.

Under the proposed deal, uranium for Iran's nascent nuclear power programme would be enriched in Russia in order to keep tabs on the material and allay Western and Israeli fears that Iran secretly plans to build a nuclear weapon under cover of the civilian power project.

The European Union and the United States have given backing to the plan.

However, the Iranian negotiator warned any deal would be scuppered if his country's nuclear programme was referred for discussion at the UN Security Council -- a move that would allow Western powers to press for sanctions against Iran.

"If the matter is referred to the UN Security Council or is used for political pressure, Iran will begin industrial enrichment of uranium," he was quoted as saying by ITAR-TASS news agency.

At the request of Britain, Germany and France, the UN nuclear watchdog International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) will hold an emergency meeting in Vienna February 2-3 to discuss the Iranian programme. The IAEA could decide to send Iran to the UN Security Council.

The European powers declared negotiations over the Iranian programme were at a dead end after Tehran on January 10 broke IAEA seals and resumed uranium enrichment work to produce material that could serve either as fuel for atomic reactors or the raw material for nuclear weapons.

The European Union and the United States are trying to convince key Iranian trading partners Russia and China to back a hard line against Iran, including the referral to the UN Security Council.

But diplomats said the two sides still disagree on the wording of a resolution that could be adopted at the Vienna meeting.

An important flurry of diplomatic activity is likely Monday when the foreign ministers of all five UN Security Council permanent members -- Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States -- meet in London. Germany's foreign minister will also attend.

Although in London for a meeting on Afghanistan, the officials are to hold separate talks about Iran and the upcoming IAEA meeting, the British Foreign Office said.

Larijani warned that referral to the UN Security Council "will not serve peace and security in the region."

Larijani also stipulated that many details still had to be worked out before the proposed Iran-Russia uranium enrichment partnership became reality.

"Russia's idea is good, but... favourable conditions concerning the time and place" of the uranium enrichment scheme have still to be worked out, he said.

Larijani also insisted that Iran had full rights to "carry out scientific-research work in the area of enriching uranium," saying that this differed from actual enrichment.

He reiterated Iran's willingness to negotiate with Europe, adding that "Russian efforts can help this."

Russia is Iran's main partner in the nuclear power programme, which Iran says it needs to boost energy supplies. Russian engineers are building a plant at Bushehr and Russia supplies the uranium.

However, Western governments and Israel say Tehran could be secretly aiming to build a nuclear weapon. This would upset the longstanding security balance in the Middle East, where Israel is the sole, if undeclared, atomic power.

Iran -- whose populist President Mahmoud Ahmadinjead has said Israel should be "wiped off the map" -- has warned that sanctions against Iran could drive up already sky-high world energy prices.