Iran Offered Nuclear Technology Help If Enrichment Is Suspended
Written by NucNet
Monday, 16 June 2008
16 Jun (NucNet): The US and the UK today reaffirmed offers of help for
Iran to establish a domestic nuclear power programme provided the
country suspends nuclear enrichment plans.
British prime minister Gordon Brown, speaking after talks in London with US president George Bush, said offers of international help in providing Iran with nuclear technology for civilian use were "still on the table". However, Mr Brown said Iran must cease enrichment.
Mr Bush urged Iran to accept proposals under which Russia would guarantee supplies of nuclear fuel for Iran's civilian nuclear power programme. The resulting spent fuel would be returned to Russia for reprocessing.
"You have a sovereign right to have nuclear plants but you don't have a right to enrich uranium because you have declared you want to destroy democracies (in your) neighbourhood," Mr Bush added. The Russian proposal would mean Iran did not need domestic enrichment capabilities, he said.
On 14 June 2008, a letter signed by the foreign ministers of the UK, US, China, France, Germany and Russia was handed to the Iranian foreign minister, Manuchehr Mottaki, by the secretary-general of the Council of the European Union, Javier Solana.
The letter said formal negotiations on a range of issues, including assistance for Iran's civilian nuclear programme can begin "as soon as Iran's enrichment-related and reprocessing activities are suspended". ".We fully understand the importance of a guaranteed fuel supply for a civil nuclear programme. We have supported the Bushehr facility. But with rights come responsibilities, in particular to restore the confidence of the international community in Iran's programme," the letter said.
- by John Shepherd
Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers)
Russia And Iran Confirm Bushehr Nuclear Fuel Agreement (News No. 209, 27 September 2006)
EU's Solana Backs 'World Nuclear Fuel Bank' Proposals (News in Brief No. 12, 31 January 2008)
