Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki arrived in Japan on Monday, where he is expected to stay for four days and to discuss the details of the Russian-Iranian deal to establish a joint uranium enrichment venture in Russia, reports the Russian news agency RIA Novosti.
Japanese Foreign Minister Taro Aso told a news briefing ahead of his meeting with his Iranian counterpart that his country has insufficient information about the Russian-Iranian deal. “I hope to discuss the details during our meeting.”
Mottaki arrived in Japan immediately after his visit to Moscow, where he signed a crucial agreement. The agreement included cooperation in the field of energy, development of a North-South Corridor, Russian Gazprom’s cooperation with Iran in developing Iranian gas fields, setting up of gas reservoirs, export of cars to Russia and purchase of Russian airplanes, reported the Iranian official news agency IRNA.
Asked about completion of the Bushehr power plant, Head of the Russian Atomic Energy Organization Sergei Kiriyenko said that in light of an accord on the return of the spent fuel to Russia, there is no obstacle to completion of the power plant.
In an attempt to ease the tension, Kiriyenko said on Sunday that Russia would do its best to find a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear program in the context of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
“We should take all necessary steps to choose such a process, because there is a possibility to resolve the crisis through a specialized agency,” Kiriyenko said.
Meanwhile, the spokesman for the Russian Atomic Energy Agency, Mikhail Kamenin, declared on Saturday that his country’s proposal to Iran on conducting the enrichment process in the Russian territory is still valid and open for discussion.
Stressing its right to peaceful nuclear activities in its territory, Iran has announced that it will examine Russia’s proposal.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Sunday that the Iran-Russia talks will continue until March 6, 2006, when the U.N. nuclear watchdog Board of Governors is scheduled to meet on the issue.