International   

Iran to notify IAEA on swap

DUBAI: Iran is set to formally notify the IAEA about Monday's nuclear swap deal with Turkey and Brazil, a top official in the Iranian nuclear establishment has said.

“The letter of Tehran declaration has been prepared and would be sent to the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] in the near future,” said Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Iran's atomic energy establishment, during a news programme on Thursday.

The website of Iran's IRIB news agency quoted Mr. Salehi as saying Iran preferred to import nuclear fuel to run its medical reactor in Tehran, notwithstanding its capability to produce on its own, 20 per cent enriched uranium that is required for this purpose.

“We will be able to produce fuel rods in the future,” said Mr. Salehi, but added that Iran preferred “to import our necessary nuclear fuel”.

Referring to the civilian nuclear energy power plant that Iran was building with Russian help at the Iranian port city of Bushehr, Mr. Salehi said the atomic facility was undergoing its final tests, which would take a fortnight to conclude. In a sign of cautious optimism, U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on a visit to Turkey said Monday's swap deal and “other initiatives may open the door to a negotiated settlement.”

The Secretary-General praised Turkey and Brazil for offering an important peaceful initiative in resolving international tensions over Iran's nuclear programme.

Despite Washington's apparent disregard for the nuclear swap deal, the initiative has been finding support in some prominent international quarters. Separately, Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Thursday slammed the United States for its tepid response to the swap agreement. “There are people who don't know how to do politics without having an enemy,” said Mr. da Silva in reference to the U.S. administration.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Probe into MI5's role in torture
Democrats win Senate vote on financial reform
White House slams Iran deal
Iran to notify IAEA on swap
Afghans holding talks in Maldives
Venus probe launched
I'm a Marxist, says Dalai Lama

Copyright © 2010, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu