TAORMINA (Sicily), February 10 (RIA Novosti) - Russia's initiative to enrich uranium for Iran's nuclear power plants is still open, the defense minister said Friday.
"Russia's proposal to enrich uranium on its territory remains on the negotiating table," Sergei Ivanov told a news conference on the sidelines of his visit to Italy for an informal meeting of the Russia-NATO Council.
The Russian offer has been seen as a compromise in the standoff between the Islamic Republic and the West. It could remove the need for Iran to enrich uranium, which is the process that has aroused international concerns as it can be used to create nuclear weapons.
Iran said earlier it saw no reason to accept Russia's proposal after the UN's nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), decided to inform the UN Security Council about the Iranian nuclear issue.
The IAEA resolution also urged Iran to resume its moratorium on nuclear fuel research, to ratify an additional protocol to its agreement with the IAEA, and to allow the agency to clarify all aspects of its past nuclear activities.
An Iranian delegation is expected in Moscow on February 16 for talks on the Russian proposal.
