Ahmadinejad: Iran ready for fuel swap based on Tehran Declaration
IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency
Tehran, June 28, IRNA -- President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said here on Monday that Iran is ready for swap of the 3.5 percent enriched uranium with the 20 percent one within the framework of the May 17 Tehran Declaration so as to meet needs of the Tehran Research Reactor to the fuel.
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, President Ahmadinejad said, “We have started 20 percent enrichment to address our own needs. We have the designing of four new reactors on our agenda. We were not since the beginning interested in 20 percent enrichment but when they (Westerners) raise empty claims and do not respect our basic rights and are not ready for constructive contribution to production of medicine for our patients, we started 20 percent enrichment though it was not economical for us.”
Iran has since the beginning been willing to get 20 percent fuel from the market itself, said the President, adding, “How much 3.5 percent uranium we should give and how much 20 percent fuel we would get depends on our needs. Our estimates were that 1,200 kg will be enough to meet our needs for the next 20 years.”
He went on to say, “We do not know why certain people so much insist on our giving to them the 3.5 percent uranium that we have produced? They claim they fear bomb but they should initially remove their own bombs.”
Ahmadinejad said, “We are ready for fuel swap within the framework of the Tehran Declaration and do not think to add anything to the Tehran Declaration.”
To another question on the countries and groups that Iran is willing them to take part in the nuclear talks, he said, “The countries are the independent countries which believe justice and respect should govern international relations. And we would announce names of the countries ourselves at an appropriate time.”
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