ST. PETERSBURG, Russia, July 15 (Xinhua) -- Russia's first international uranium enrichment center will be set up in Angarsk in southeast Siberia's Irkutsk Region, Russia's nuclear chief Sergei Kiriyenko said Saturday.

    Kiriyenko said the center would have to be put under the control of the International Atomic Energy Agency, and that Russian legislation would be amended accordingly.

    Kiriyenko described the center in Angarsk as "the first step to be taken by Russia in this direction."

    However, he said it did not imply Russia had given up its idea to set up a joint venture for enriching Iranian uranium on its soil, adding that the Angarsk center would provide Iran with opportunities to develop its civilian nuclear industry.

    On the same day, visiting U.S. President George W. Bush and his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin announced here on Saturday that they have agreed on a plan to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons by setting up international enrichment centers.

    The two leaders unveiled that initiative at a join press conference after their talks. Enditem