Iran: Moscow, Tehran Fail To Agree On Return Of Nuclear Fuel

RFE/RL ^ | 9/6/03

[Ranger]

Moscow, 6 September 2003 (RFE/RL) -- Talks between Russia and Iran have still failed to resolve the question of the return of spent fuel to Russia from Iran's nuclear power plant at Bushehr.

Russia is helping Iran build the nuclear power plant at Bushehr. But, under strong international pressure -- particularly from the U.S. -- Russia has demanded that Iran return spent fuel from the plant. The U.S. has accused Tehran of seeking to develop its nuclear weapons program.

Russia's Atomic Energy Ministry said today it would not start delivering fuel for the Bushehr plant until an agreement is reached on the return of the fuel once it is used.

Representatives of the two countries met yesterday in Moscow but failed to agree on a date for signing the agreement.

Meanwhile, Iran's Foreign Ministry today rejected U.S. claims that Tehran was not doing enough to prevent anti-U.S. fighters from crossing from Iran into Iraq.

Iran's state news agency IRNA cited Foreign Ministry spokesman Reza Asefi as saying Washington is looking to lay blame for the continued resistance to U.S. troops in Iraq.

U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld said this week that Iran and Syria's efforts to stop foreign fighters were "intermittent" and "uneven."

Washington has blamed fighters loyal to ousted Iraqi ruler Saddam Hussein and foreign Islamic radicals for the continued violence in Iraq.

[JediForce]

It is okay. That power plant and anything that has to do with it won't be there much longer. I just have this feeling that somehow there are going to large holes where all this stuff is. And sooner rather than later. Here is hoping. :-)

[DoctorZIn]

Join Us At Today's Iranian Alert Thread | DoctorZin

Click on the link above!

"If you want on or off this Iran ping list, Freepmail DoctorZin”

[Bon mots]

It is okay. That power plant and anything that has to do with it won't be there much longer. I just have this feeling that somehow there are going to large holes where all this stuff is. And sooner rather than later. Here is hoping. :-)

Why does a country with the third largest proven oil reserves in the world need a nuclear plant anyway?

[Prodigal Son]

I ran across this story. Decided to just add to your thread since it's the same topic. Got a few more details...

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_7-9-2003_pg4_8

Russia, Iran fail to agree on key nuclear accord

MOSCOW: Talks between Moscow and Tehran have failed to produce a key agreement that would launch the Islamic state’s first nuclear reactor, the Russian atomic energy ministry said Saturday.

The two sides held talks Friday in the Russian capital on Iran’s Bushehr power plant project, but were unable to agree on a date to sign the controversial agreement, a ministry official told the ITAR-TASS news agency.

“Talks on this point will continue in the nearest future,” the official said. The sticking point in the negotiations is the issue of return of spent nuclear fuel from the plant to Russia.

On Saturday, Moscow said it would not begin delivering fuel for the reactor until an agreement is signed on the return of spent fuel back to Russia.

“The signing of the agreement on the return of nuclear fuel... is a prerequisite for the start of deliveries of ‘fresh’ fuel,” the atomic energy ministry source told ITAR-TASS.

Originally Russia and Iran had planned to sign an agreement under which Moscow would provide fuel for the Bushehr nuclear power plant that it has been helping build in southern Iran. In return, Tehran was to agree to return all of the reactor’s spent fuel to Russia for reprocessing.

Many Western countries, notably United States and Israel, fear that the Bushehr project could help Iran develop a nuclear weapons program and had pressed Russia not to sign the agreement until Iran allows open inspections by teams from the United Nations of its military installations.

In an apparent concession to these concerns, Russia announced the delay in the Bushehr agreement last week.

Russia’s atomic energy spokesman Alexander Agapov told the Interfax news agency on August 29 that the new protocol with Iran may not be signed for several more months, blaming the delay on the Iranians. “The delivery of fuel is constantly being delayed because Iran has no final document on a reaction to a possible emergency” during the transport of fuel, the Russian spokesman said.

“We cannot carry (spent nuclear fuel into Russia) until we are convinced it will be transported safely to a temporary storage facility,” he added. —AFP

Tehran may agree to tougher nuclear inspections: Kharazi

TEHRAN: Iran’s foreign minister said Saturday that the Islamic republic may soon agree to tougher nuclear inspections if ongoing talks on the issue with the UN’s atomic energy watchdog removed “ambiguities”.

“With explanations and the removal of ambiguities from the IAEA, Iran will in the near future will sign the additional protocol,” Kamal Kharazi was quoted as saying by the state news agency IRNA. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), with major international backing, is pressing Iran to quickly sign and ratify an additional protocol to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) which would allow unannounced checks of its nuclear facilities by UN inspectors. Iran, which has dismissed widespread suspicions that it is using an atomic energy programme as a cover for nuclear weapons development, has maintained that it needs certain points of the protocol clarified before it can sign. Kharazi, who was speaking just days ahead of a key IAEA meeting in Vienna, gave no indication on how the talks on the protocol were progressing. However, the foreign minister did call on the agency’s board of governors not to bow to US pressure when they discuss Iran’s nuclear programme in the coming days, saying he hoped their final decision on how to move ahead on the Iran dossier was “professional and not politicised”.

The US ambassador to the IAEA said Thursday that Washington will push for “a strong resolution” on Iran’s suspect nuclear programme at the Vienna meeting, which begins on Monday. —AFP

[JediForce]

To make nukes that kill us infidels....why else would they have it?