VIENNA, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- In the arrangement of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), representatives of the United States, Russia, France and Iran on Monday began in Vienna internal consultations on the Iranian nuclear issue about purchasing nuclear fuel from abroad.
Iran's International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) ambassador Ali Asghar Soltaniyeh attends a meeting on the Iranian nuclear issue in Vienna with EU and U.S. diplomats in Vienna's UN headquarters October 19, 2009. (Xinhua/Reuters Photo) Photo Gallery>>>
The negotiation began in the afternoon. It is understood that Western countries wish that, through the negotiation, Iran would agree to transfer its uranium enrichment activities to other countries and give up its domestic enrichment of uranium, and offer a timetable for that.
It was said that the talks would last "two to three days," which is a technical meeting to discuss the details. The talks are not open to media.
It was also said that Iran has not sent a senior negotiator to the talks. In addition, on the eve of the beginning of the talks, an Iranian spokesman, Ali Shirzadian, said that the agreement of Iran "to buy nuclear fuel from abroad does not mean that Iran would halt its uranium enrichment activities in its country." He stressed: "We will not give up our rights."
Iran also noted that the research reactor in Iran requires a higher purity of enriched uranium. If it can't be purchased from abroad, Iran would produce by itself.
According to a survey by the IAEA, Iran has been able to produce enriched uranium with a purity of about 5 percent.
Earlier this month, in the talks between Iran and the six parties on the Iranian nuclear issue held in Geneva, Iran has in principle agreed to ship most of its existing low-grade enriched uranium to Russia and France, where the enriched uranium would be processed into fuel rods with the purity of 20 percent.
The enriched uranium with higher purity would be then transported back to Iran, used as nuclear fuel in research nuclear reactor for the manufacture of medical radioisotopes. Iran has also agreed to allow international inspectors into its newly disclosed nuclear facilities for verification. In this regard, some international commentators believe that this is a major concession made by Iran on the nuclear issue.
TEHRAN, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iran will not hold direct talks with France in Vienna on the purchase of highly-enriched uranium for medical purposes, the local satellite Press TV reported on Monday.
"France has failed in its responsibilities regarding nuclear cooperation with Iran and continues to create obstacles in the process of negotiations between Iran and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)," Press TV quoted an unnamed source as saying. Full story
TEHRAN, Oct. 19 (Xinhua) -- Iran said on Monday it will start enriching its uranium up to the 20 percent level if talks in Vienna fail to provide Iran the "desired results," the official IRNA news agency reported.
Spokesman for Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Ali Shirzadian said Tehran will continue its activities to produce 5 percent enriched uranium and will for sure start work on 20 percent enriched uranium production if the talks are fruitless. Full story
TEHRAN, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has said that new U.S. sanctions against Iran is unlikely and it is doubtful that Washington will seek new international sanctions against Tehran, local English satellite Press TV reported Thursday.
"They (Americans) have already imposed sanctions against our country, but achieved nothing. The world is a big place and all states are not controlled by a certain bullying regime," Ahmadinejad was quoted as saying.Full story
TEHRAN, Oct. 13 (Xinhua) -- A member of Iranian parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission dismissed on Tuesday the significance of Western sanction threats over its disputed nuclear program, the semi-official Fars news agency reported.
"The word sanction is neither worrisome nor alarming to the Iranian nation," Kazzem Jalali was quoted as saying. Full story
