MOSCOW, June 28 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov Monday held talks with visiting chief of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Mohamed El-Baradei on nuclear non-proliferation and the nuclear issue in Iran, the Interfax news agency reported.

    "We discussed the future ways of collaboration with Moscow on nuclear non-proliferation and the specific situation in Iran in the light of Tehran's recent political declarations," El-Baradei was quoted as saying.

    El-Baradei said it was up to Moscow and Tehran to decide whether to sign the protocol to make Iran return spent nuclear fuel from the nuclear power plant Russia is helping build in Iran's coastal city of Bushehr.

    Under the draft protocol, Iran should return the spent nuclear fuel of the 800-million-dollar power plant after the first reactor starts production.

    Iran declared it would resume manufacturing and assembling centrifuge components on June 29 but would maintain the suspension of uranium enrichment operations.

    The United States has accused Iran of using the plant as a cover to develop nuclear weapons and has urged Russia to freeze the project. Both Russia and Iran have dismissed the US allegations, vowing to continue their nuclear cooperation.

    Russia, however, said it will not ship any fuel for the plant until Iran signs the deal.

    El-Baradei and Lavrov also discussed "preventing the threat of nuclear terrorism, the transport of nuclear materials and future nuclear development of Iraq and North Korea (DPRK)", said the UN nuclear watchdog chief.

    El-Baradei also met on Monday with Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov and will hold talks with President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday. Enditem