IRAN RUSSIA TALKS ON SPENT FUEL SUSPENDED
MOSCOW, 7 Sept. (IPS) Russia suspended talks with the Islamic Republic on the continuation of the works on the Booshehr nuclear reactor over differences concerning the return to Russia of the spent nuclear fuel, the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry announced.
Discussions on the controversial issue had started on Friday in Moscow, but were suspended after the Iranian side announced that it had not the means to transfer to Russia the spent nuclear fuel, a sine quoi none condition for Moscow to fulfil the construction of Iran’s first atomic-powered electrical plant.
"The two sides held talks Friday in the Russian capital on Iran's
Booshehr power plant project, but were unable to agree on a date to sign the
controversial agreement", the Rusian official news agency ITAR-TASS quoted
a Ministry’s official, adding that the talks would continue in the nearest
future.
On Saturday, Moscow said it would not begin delivering fuel for the reactor until an agreement is signed on the return of spent fuel back to Russia. "The signing of the agreement on the return of nuclear fuel... is a prerequisite for the start of deliveries of fresh fuel", the atomic energy ministry source told ITAR-TASS.
But Iran informed the Russians on Saturday that it could not carry the spent nuclear fuel to Russia until it is assured that it will be transported safely, which is not the case now", an official at Iran’s Atomic Energy Organisations explained.
Originally Russia and Iran had agreed that Moscow would provide fuel for the Booshehr nuclear power plant but taking back the spent fuel for reprocessing.
The construction of the 100 megawatts, 800 millions US Dollars Booshehr plant, started after the Islamic Revolution of 1979 with the help of then Soviet Union, was to be finished by the end of the last century, but it had been constantly reported, with the Russians accusing bad or delayed payments by Iran and Tehran counter-accusing Moscow for retarding the works deliberately, responding to American pressures.
The Russians now say that the plant cannot enter operation before 3005.
In fact, the United States and Israel, as well as some European countries and experts are of the opinion that the Booshehr project is a front for the Iranians in the development of their own nuclear arsenal, including an atomic bomb, hence their pressures over Moscow not to sign the agreement until Iran allows open inspections by teams from the United Nations of its military installations.
According to the German newspaper "Tagesspiegel", a group of 70 to 90 Iranian experts and atomic scientists are actually at work at secret installations from the Revolutionary Guards on Iran’s nuclear-based weapons.
Tehran and Moscow reject the accusations and insist that the Booshehr plant is only for civilian purposes, mainly producing electricity.
However, the argument is unconvincing, since the country has the world’s largest natural gas reserves after Russia and can tap that cheap and "clean" energy for the construction of many electrical plants.
Some Iranian atomic experts say not only Russian technology used in the construction of Booshehr power station is very old and unreliable, but also its life expectancy is short compared to western technologies.
The unexpected statement from Russia's atomic energy ministry appeared to be a direct concession to frequently-expressed US and Israeli concerns that the project could help Iran develop a nuclear weapons program, according to some political analysts.
Russia's decision came before the meeting, on Monday, of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), discussing the agency’s experts reports on Iranian nuclear-related installations and programs.
According to the reports, the Islamic Republic has built secret sites for enriching uranium and bought centrifuge tubes, probably from China and North Korea as well as on the black market.
The United States was to take the matter to the United Nations Security Council in case Iran refused to adhere to additional protocols on the Non Proliferation Treaty by Monday 8 September, but on Friday, a western diplomat informed journalists in Vienna that Washington has revised its stand, of fear that it might not be able to master enough votes at the meeting of the Board of IAEA Directors.
The European Union and Russia have also urged Tehran to sign the protocols, which would able experts from IAEA to inspect Iranian nuclear sites without restriction, pre-conditions or advance notice.
Iran’s ruling had liners say the protocols would allow foreign spies to collect data on all the country’s atomic and military installations, including missile launch pads, and have urged the government to get out of the NPT all together.
On his last visit to Tehran, EU’s Foreign and Security Affairs Minister Xavier Solana warned the Iranians to either join the protocols or expect "bad news".
Iran’s Foreign Affairs Minister Kamal Kharrazi said last week that Iran might actually sign the protocols, but warned that IAEA should not "become a tool for America’s policies". ENDS IRAN RUSSIA NUCLEAR 7903