Tehran expresses readiness for nuclear talks with West
By Sara Rajabova
Iran is ready to discuss the nuclear issue with West and solve the dispute in win-win approach, head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar Salehi said.
Salehi said that opposite to Iran's win-win approach, Tehran expects the West to recognize its nuclear rights based on Non-Proliferation treaty and statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), IRNA news agency reported on September 6.
On Sep.5 Iranian President Hassan Rohani ordered Iran's Foreign Ministry to take the responsibility for nuclear negotiations with both IAEA and P5+1.
However, Salehi said that AEOI will be responsible for nuclear negotiations with IAEA in the upcoming meeting scheduled for late September.
The new round of negotiations between Iran and the IAEA will be held in Vienna on Sept.27.
World powers are monitoring the IAEA-Iran talks for any signs as to whether Tehran, facing intensifying sanctions pressure, may be prepared to finally start tackling mounting international concerns about its nuclear activity.
Also, commenting on the IAEA's latest report, which says Iran's 20 percent-enriched uranium hasn't increased, while the 20 percent pure UF6 (Uranium hexafluoride) stockpile is being used to produce Triuranium octoxide (U3O8, the first component of nuclear fuel), Salehi said that decreasing 20 percent-enriched uranium stockpile in Iran, has no political motivation.
Iran currently has a stockpile of 185.8 kilograms of uranium enriched to 20 percent, only a slight increase since May 2013, IAEA reported on late August.
Salehi said Iran informed former IAEA head Mohammad Al-Baradei (in April 2010) that it wants to buy 20 percent-enriched nuclear fuel for Tehran's 5-MW nuclear Research Reactor and the request was discussed with Russia and the United States.
However, according to Salehi, these countries offered a non-paper proposal to Iran, saying they are ready to supply 20 percent pure nuclear fuel to Iran in case the country is ready to transfer its 3.5 percent pure uranium abroad.
Salehi went on to note that he was "shocked, hearing their precondition".
"Why should Iran hand over its uranium stockpile for nuclear fuel?," Salehi asked.
To provide Tehran nuclear reactor with fuel, Iran bought 30 kg of enriched uranium (at 19.75 percent) from Argentina back in 1993.
Iran started to produce 20 percent-enriched nuclear fuel in 2010, rejecting P5+1 groups' proposal to change the 20 percent pure nuclear fuel with 1300 kg of Iran's 3.5 percent pure UF6 stockpile.
Tehran Research Reactor now produces medical isotopes for cancer patients by domestic produced nuclear fuels.
Salehi also added that Iran and IAEA agreed to appoint an Iranian ambassador to the Agency. He noted that he was Iran's last ambassador to IAEA (1998-2003) and after him, Iran has only had permanent representative in IAEA.
He said that AEOI and Iran's Foreign Ministry discussed the issue of appointing an ambassador to IAEA and agreed that the AEOI will choose a person for this post.
The West suspects Tehran's nuclear program may be aimed at developing nuclear weapons capability, but Iran insists it is purely for peaceful purposes.
Iran reiterates that its main demand is that its right to uranium enrichment, as stipulated in the NPT, be recognized.