TEHRAN, Feb. 19 (Xinhuanet) -- Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said here on Sunday that Iran would accept a Russian compromise proposal aimed to defuse the current Iranian nuclear tension after it was amended into a comprehensive offer.

   "Russia's nuclear proposal will serve Iran's interests if it turns into a comprehensive offer by holding talks and including complimentary terms and conditions," Mottaki was quoted by the official IRNA news agency as saying.

   Mottaki said that the Russian proposal should be negotiated to "help clarify some of its aspects and study more elements," adding that Iran welcomed any initiative or effort for securing the country's legal rights while dispersing the international concerns over its nuclear program.

   Noting Moscow's recent call for Iran's re-suspension of uranium enrichment work, Mottaki stressed that Iran would never accept any preconditions for talks.

   Russia proposed last December that the two countries establish a joint venture in Russia to enrich uranium for Iran. Tehran termed the offer as incomplete but not negative, expressing determination to enrich uranium on the Iranian soil.

   An Iranian delegation will leave for Moscow later on Sunday to discuss the compromise proposal with Russian officials. Meanwhile, Mottaki will head for Brussels, Belgium, to hold talks with European diplomats over the rising nuclear tension.

   The European Union (EU), broker of the Iranian nuclear issue for more than two years, has expressed willingness to accept the Russian proposal.

   The nuclear negotiations between Iran and the EU were paralyzed after Tehran defiantly resumed nuclear research work on Jan. 10 and sent ambiguous messages on the Russian proposal.

   The tension further escalated as Iran recently resumed small-scale uranium enrichment and prohibited the International Atomic Energy Agency's (IAEA) snap inspections, a retaliative move against the UN nuclear watchdog's decision on Feb. 4 to report Iran's nuclear case to the UN Security Council.

   Uranium enrichment is the key step for constructing nuclear fuel cycle, but highly enriched uranium can be used for building nuclear weapons.

   The United States accuses Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons, and the European Union also holds that Iran's full mastery of nuclear fuel cycle technology would possibly lead to military usage.

   Iran, however, rejects the allegation as politically motivated, insisting that its nuclear program is fully peaceful and aimed at meeting rising domestic demand for electricity. Enditem