TEHRAN, Jan. 7 (Xinhuanet) -- Iran and Russia began talks Saturday on a Russian-proposed compromise plan of joint uranium enrichment, the state-run television reported.

   "The Russian delegation arrived in Tehran last night and began talks with Iranian officials this morning," said Hossein Entezami, spokesman for Iran's top security body, the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), denying earlier media reports that the meeting has been postponed.

   "The two sides are going to discuss Russia's proposal for joint uranium enrichment, the scale of this, and also enrichment on Iranian soil," Entezami was quoted as saying.

   Last month, Moscow delivered to Iran a written proposal that the two countries establish a joint venture in Russia to enrich uranium for Iran, which Iran has said is not concrete and needs to be clarified.

   Iran has said that it has a legal and undeniable right to build nuclear fuel cycle, and will reject any suggestion on enrichment abroad.

   Based on Washington's accusation that Iran is seeking nuclear weapons secretly, the EU insists that Iran's complete command of uranium enrichment could lead to military use of the technology.

   On Tuesday, Tehran announced that it had decided to resume research work on nuclear fuel in a few days. The European Union (EU) warned that such a decision will endanger a new round of bilateral nuclear talks due on Jan. 18. Enditem