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Monday, February 27, 2006 12:10:40 AM
Iran, Russia Reach Tentative Nuclear Deal
A technician works at the nuclear power plant in the Iranian city of Bushehr. Russia has offered to enrich uranium for Iran in Russian territory. (Photo Credit: By Raheb Homavandi -- Reuters Photo)
Iran, Russia Reach Tentative Nuclear Deal
Details of Venture to Enrich Uranium Not Yet Set; Agreement Could Prevent Showdown at U.N.
By Peter Finn
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, February 27, 2006; Page A09
MOSCOW, Feb. 26 -- The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said Sunday that his country had agreed in principle to set up a joint uranium enrichment project with Russia, a potential breakthrough in efforts to prevent an international confrontation over Iran's nuclear ambitions.
"Regarding this joint venture, we have reached a basic agreement," said Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the country's nuclear chief, speaking at a news conference with his Russian counterpart in Bushehr, where Russia is helping to build a nuclear power plant. "Talks to complete this package will continue in coming days in Russia."
Among the outstanding issues is whether Iran will continue the small-scale uranium enrichment it began earlier this month, a source of growing international concern.
Russia's offer to enrich uranium for Iran on Russian territory, a proposal backed by the United States and the European Union, has been the basis of intense but previously fruitless negotiations between Moscow and Tehran. If Iran does agree to shift enrichment to Russia, Iran would cede control of a key element in the nuclear fuel cycle and ease suspicions that it could secretly produce uranium suitable for nuclear weapons.
A deal would also head off punitive action by the U.N. Security Council after a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on March 6.
Aghazadeh made it clear, however, that there was still no formal agreement and that some issues must still be resolved.
"There are different parts that need to be discussed," he said, according to Russian news agencies. "These are not just related to forming a company -- there are other elements. There are political issues, and the proposal should be seen as a package."
He added that Iran had "set a precondition," which he declined to specify.
Russian analysts following the talks said Iran wants security guarantees that it would not be attacked by the United States.
President Bush's national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, was cautious about the announcement. "It's too soon to say," he said on CNN's "Late Edition." "In any of these arrangements, the devil is in the details. We'll just have to see what emerges."
The announcement on Sunday followed two days of talks between Aghazadeh and Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Russia's nuclear agency. Negotiations are expected to continue in Moscow in the next two or three days.
"I think there remain no organizational, technical or financial problems on the joint venture establishment," said Kiriyenko, but he added that "the international community must have guarantees of security and preservation of the nonproliferation regime."
Kiriyenko provided no specifics on any joint venture, including key issues such as whether Iranian scientists would have access to the Russian facility and whether Iran had agreed that the operation would be based permanently in Russia.
A deal, if one is reached and backed by the United States and the E.U., would be a significant boon for Russian diplomacy. Russia has been on the defensive because of Western concerns about the rollback of democracy there and because of the country's alleged use of energy resources to punish neighbors such as Ukraine. Russia is chairing meetings of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations this year, and securing a deal with Iran would be a major boost to Moscow's attempts to be seen as an essential and powerful partner.
More than two years of negotiations between Iran and an E.U. troika of Britain, France and Germany failed to produce an agreement. Russia, which has close financial and military ties with Iran, has much greater leverage, however. Among other moves, it could stall construction of the nuclear plant at Bushehr where Sunday's announcement was made.
In recent weeks, Russia has been signaling its mounting frustration with Iran's stance. Russian lawmakers have said sanctions might become unavoidable unless Iran yields.
Aghazadeh said the decision to establish a uranium enrichment facility in Russia could be taken before the next IAEA meeting.
"We believe we can get an outcome that will be satisfying for the March 6 meeting," Aghazadeh said.
The board of the IAEA voted this month to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions, but did so with the understanding that no action would be taken until after it met on March 6. The decision was designed to allow more time for negotiations on the Russian proposal. Russia backed the vote to report Iran, but has been reluctant, at least publicly, to endorse sanctions.
Iran resumed small-scale uranium enrichment after the vote to report the country, and Russian officials said Iran would also have to agree to restore a moratorium on enrichment.
"The Russia side intends to discuss the issue of setting up a joint venture with Iran to enrich uranium only as a package with all other problems concerning the Iranian nuclear dossier," a source in the Russian delegation told the Russian news agency Interfax. "These problems include, among other things, the resumption of an enrichment moratorium by Iran."
Senior Iranian negotiators have been telling their European counterparts for weeks that they are eager for a solution that would allow Iran to continue the small-scale enrichment it has begun. But they have also promised that Iranian researchers would not conduct more sensitive enrichment work beyond the program in place now.
Aghazadeh also said Sunday that Iran planned to add two power-generating units at the Bushehr plant, and was now preparing tender documents.
"Russia will certainly be invited to bid in the tender," Aghazadeh said.
Russia had delayed completion of the plant to signal its displeasure, officials said. But on Sunday, Kiriyenko said both sides had agreed on a timetable to finish the plant and deliver nuclear fuel to the facility for a launch this fall.
Staff writer Dafna Linzer in Washington contributed to this report.
LINK: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/26/AR2006022600372.html
A technician works at the nuclear power plant in the Iranian city of Bushehr. Russia has offered to enrich uranium for Iran in Russian territory. (Photo Credit: By Raheb Homavandi -- Reuters Photo)
Iran, Russia Reach Tentative Nuclear Deal
Details of Venture to Enrich Uranium Not Yet Set; Agreement Could Prevent Showdown at U.N.
By Peter Finn
Washington Post Foreign Service
Monday, February 27, 2006; Page A09
MOSCOW, Feb. 26 -- The head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization said Sunday that his country had agreed in principle to set up a joint uranium enrichment project with Russia, a potential breakthrough in efforts to prevent an international confrontation over Iran's nuclear ambitions.
"Regarding this joint venture, we have reached a basic agreement," said Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the country's nuclear chief, speaking at a news conference with his Russian counterpart in Bushehr, where Russia is helping to build a nuclear power plant. "Talks to complete this package will continue in coming days in Russia."
Among the outstanding issues is whether Iran will continue the small-scale uranium enrichment it began earlier this month, a source of growing international concern.
Russia's offer to enrich uranium for Iran on Russian territory, a proposal backed by the United States and the European Union, has been the basis of intense but previously fruitless negotiations between Moscow and Tehran. If Iran does agree to shift enrichment to Russia, Iran would cede control of a key element in the nuclear fuel cycle and ease suspicions that it could secretly produce uranium suitable for nuclear weapons.
A deal would also head off punitive action by the U.N. Security Council after a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna on March 6.
Aghazadeh made it clear, however, that there was still no formal agreement and that some issues must still be resolved.
"There are different parts that need to be discussed," he said, according to Russian news agencies. "These are not just related to forming a company -- there are other elements. There are political issues, and the proposal should be seen as a package."
He added that Iran had "set a precondition," which he declined to specify.
Russian analysts following the talks said Iran wants security guarantees that it would not be attacked by the United States.
President Bush's national security adviser, Stephen J. Hadley, was cautious about the announcement. "It's too soon to say," he said on CNN's "Late Edition." "In any of these arrangements, the devil is in the details. We'll just have to see what emerges."
The announcement on Sunday followed two days of talks between Aghazadeh and Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Russia's nuclear agency. Negotiations are expected to continue in Moscow in the next two or three days.
"I think there remain no organizational, technical or financial problems on the joint venture establishment," said Kiriyenko, but he added that "the international community must have guarantees of security and preservation of the nonproliferation regime."
Kiriyenko provided no specifics on any joint venture, including key issues such as whether Iranian scientists would have access to the Russian facility and whether Iran had agreed that the operation would be based permanently in Russia.
A deal, if one is reached and backed by the United States and the E.U., would be a significant boon for Russian diplomacy. Russia has been on the defensive because of Western concerns about the rollback of democracy there and because of the country's alleged use of energy resources to punish neighbors such as Ukraine. Russia is chairing meetings of the Group of Eight leading industrial nations this year, and securing a deal with Iran would be a major boost to Moscow's attempts to be seen as an essential and powerful partner.
More than two years of negotiations between Iran and an E.U. troika of Britain, France and Germany failed to produce an agreement. Russia, which has close financial and military ties with Iran, has much greater leverage, however. Among other moves, it could stall construction of the nuclear plant at Bushehr where Sunday's announcement was made.
In recent weeks, Russia has been signaling its mounting frustration with Iran's stance. Russian lawmakers have said sanctions might become unavoidable unless Iran yields.
Aghazadeh said the decision to establish a uranium enrichment facility in Russia could be taken before the next IAEA meeting.
"We believe we can get an outcome that will be satisfying for the March 6 meeting," Aghazadeh said.
The board of the IAEA voted this month to report Iran to the U.N. Security Council, which has the power to impose sanctions, but did so with the understanding that no action would be taken until after it met on March 6. The decision was designed to allow more time for negotiations on the Russian proposal. Russia backed the vote to report Iran, but has been reluctant, at least publicly, to endorse sanctions.
Iran resumed small-scale uranium enrichment after the vote to report the country, and Russian officials said Iran would also have to agree to restore a moratorium on enrichment.
"The Russia side intends to discuss the issue of setting up a joint venture with Iran to enrich uranium only as a package with all other problems concerning the Iranian nuclear dossier," a source in the Russian delegation told the Russian news agency Interfax. "These problems include, among other things, the resumption of an enrichment moratorium by Iran."
Senior Iranian negotiators have been telling their European counterparts for weeks that they are eager for a solution that would allow Iran to continue the small-scale enrichment it has begun. But they have also promised that Iranian researchers would not conduct more sensitive enrichment work beyond the program in place now.
Aghazadeh also said Sunday that Iran planned to add two power-generating units at the Bushehr plant, and was now preparing tender documents.
"Russia will certainly be invited to bid in the tender," Aghazadeh said.
Russia had delayed completion of the plant to signal its displeasure, officials said. But on Sunday, Kiriyenko said both sides had agreed on a timetable to finish the plant and deliver nuclear fuel to the facility for a launch this fall.
Staff writer Dafna Linzer in Washington contributed to this report.
LINK: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/02/26/AR2006022600372.html
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