Iran announces resumption of research on nuclear fuel

By Najmeh Bozorgmehr
January 3, 2006
Financial Times
Original Source: http://news.ft.com/cms/s/78793298-7c54-11da-936a-0000779e2340.html

Published: January 3 2006 14:19 | Last updated: January 3 2006 14:19
http://news.ft.com/c.gif \* MERGEFORMATINET
Iran announced on Tuesday it would resume research on nuclear fuel projects after a gap of over two years, in a move that could provoke international anger.
Mohammad Saeedi, deputy head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisation, told state TV on Tuesday that the “resumption of research projects on nuclear fuel technology” would resume shortly “in co-operation and co-ordination with the International Atomic Energy Agency”.
A European diplomat in Tehran said the announcement was “vague” on the nature and extent of research activities. “If it’s related to enrichment activities it’s very serious and a breach of the IAEA resolution [in November],” said the diplomat. 
Negotiations between Iran and the EU-3 - Britain, France and Germany - collapsed in August after Iran rejected a package of incentives put forward by Europe in exchange for its agreement to abandon all nuclear enrichment activities. 
To break the deadlock, Russia has proposed that Iran enrich uranium on Russian soil and transfer the fuel to Iran for use at its nuclear plants. 
Iran has avoided rejecting the Russian proposal outright to avoid alienating Moscow, which has a veto in the security council. 
“This [Russian proposal] can be a complementary plan,” Ali Larijani, secretary of Supreme National Security Council, told state TV on Sunday, adding: “It’s not logical for a country to put its fate in the hands of another country. We can obtain [only] part of the nuclear fuel from another country.”
Even reformists have failed to welcome the Russian proposal, however, particularly after Moscow’s recent move to cut off its gas supply to Ukraine.
“Who can guarantee that Russia will meet its commitments, when it doesn’t take pity on Ukranian citizens who are of Russian origin in cold winter,” wrote the main reformist paper Shargh in an editorial.
Last month, the EU held “talks about talks” with Iran at expert level in Vienna, and these discussions are scheduled to resume later this month.
“Iran’s decision [on research] is because the two sides are drawing up a new basis, a new agenda and new commitments for the new round of talks,” a senior Iranian official said. The official said Iran was not concerned about the international reaction to its decision.
Tuesday’s announcement could spark renewed calls for Iran to be referred to the United Nations Security Council, however. 
A vote could be held at the next meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency’s governing board, scheduled for March 6. At its last session in November, the board opted to put off any vote on the issue to allow give time for Russia’s proposal to bear fruit.