Russia: Iran Cooperating with IAEA
VOA News
20 Jun 2003, 16:46 UTC
Russia says it will deliver nuclear fuel to Iran only after Tehran signs an additional protocol allowing closer inspections of its nuclear program.
Speaking to reporters at a Russian nuclear power plant on Friday, Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev said Iran is actively cooperating with the International Atomic Energy Agency. But Mr. Rumyantsev said Russia would send nuclear fuel for Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant - expected to be completed next year - only after all of that country's facilities are under the IAEA's supervision.
Earlier Friday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Iran's president - Mohammad Khatami - recently assured him that Tehran will drop its objections to inspections of its nuclear facilities by the U.N. nuclear agency.
Before the Russian president announcement in Moscow, Iranian officials said Tehran would rebuff an IAEA request to open its nuclear facilities to inspectors.
On Thursday, the U.N. nuclear agency issued a statement at the end of its board of governors meeting in Vienna. It urged Iran to grant the agency the access necessary to defuse suspicions that Tehran is operating a secret nuclear program, a charge Iran denies.
Some information for this report provided by AFP.
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