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Iran’s move to upgrade centrifuges legal: Russian FM

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Tehran, Jan 31, IRNA -- Iran’s move to upgrade centrifuges is within legal limits, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Thursday.

Speaking to reporters in Moscow, the Russian foreign minister noted that Iran's nuclear technology falls within the international community guidelines.

“We were told by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) that Iranians will install next generation centrifuges; however, Iran is doing everything in line with their commitments under the Safeguards Agreement,' Lavrov said.

The Safeguards Agreement, which was signed between the IAEA and Iran in 1974, sets forth the parameters for Tehran's nuclear activity. Iran presently enriches uranium to 20 percent concentration which is enough to power nuclear reactors and medical research.

Iran and the IAEA held talks in Tehran earlier this month.

The talks in Tehran were led by Iranian Ambassador to IAEA Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh and the IAEA Deputy Director-General Herman Nackaerts.

The last round of talks between Iran and the IAEA was held in Tehran in mid December and the two sides discussed a modality plan for their cooperation.

Washington and its Western allies accuse Iran of trying to develop nuclear weapons under the cover of a civilian nuclear program, while they have never presented any corroborative evidence to substantiate their allegations. Iran denies the charges and insists that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes only.

Tehran stresses that the country has always pursued a civilian path to provide power to the growing number of Iranian population, whose fossil fuel would eventually run dry.

Despite the rules enshrined in the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) entitling every member state, including Iran, to the right of uranium enrichment, Tehran is now under four rounds of UN Security Council (UNSC) sanctions for turning down West's calls to give up its right of uranium enrichment.

Tehran has dismissed West's demands as politically tainted and illogical, stressing that sanctions and pressures merely consolidate Iranians' national resolve to continue the path.

Tehran has repeatedly said that it considers its nuclear case closed as it has come clean of IAEA's questions and suspicions about its past nuclear activities.

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Islamic Republic News Agency/IRNA NewsCode: 80523060