Official: Russia wants nuclear power coop with Iran extended

MOSCOW, Aug 14 (PRIME) -- Russia has no plans to limit its nuclear power partnership with Iran by construction of a second and a third unit of the Bushehr plant, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said Friday.

“We hope that other units will follow the first unit of Bushehr, we would not like to limit ourselves in our bilateral cooperation with Iran even to Bushehr -2 and Bushehr -3, but potential of this partnership is much more significant and much wider; part of a joint universal action plan is establishment of perfect conditions to continue such partnership,” Ryabkov said.

Moscow and Tehran are continuing negotiations on future works to establish a center for production of stable isotopes at a facility in Fordow, he said. Under the deal, Russia will exchange low-enriched Iranian uranium for natural uranium.

Russia is ready to participate in reconfiguration of a nuclear reactor in the Iranian city of Arak but the other five world powers which signed a nuclear pact with Iran must play a key role in the process, he said.

Russian law prohibits storage of nuclear waste in the country, but the waste can be stored at an international center of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Kazakhstan, Ryabkov said.

The official said that Russia is interested in continuation of swap deals with Iran, where Russia swaps its goods for Iranian oil in a way which does not violate the sanctions against Iran.

Ryabkov also said that Iranian oil exports potential will not be restored quickly after the sanctions removal.

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