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Russia discussing intl. uranium center creation - nuclear agency

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Russia is holding talks on the establishment of an international uranium enrichment center in Angarsk with Kazakhstan and other states, a deputy head of the country's nuclear agency said Saturday.

IRKUTSK, September 30 (RIA Novosti) - Russia is holding talks on the establishment of an international uranium enrichment center in Angarsk with Kazakhstan and other states, a deputy head of the country's nuclear agency said Saturday.

President Vladimir Putin suggested at the beginning of the year that, in light of tensions over Iran's nuclear ambitions, international uranium enrichment centers be set up in Russia.

"We are talking about not a mythical but real joint venture that envisions participation of a foreign partner in managing the enterprise, defining the market strategy and distributing profits," Nikolai Spassky said. "This is the only approach that would make it possible to attract real foreign participants."

The head of Russia's Federal Nuclear Power Agency said Thursday that an International Atomic Energy Agency delegation would soon arrive in Moscow to continue work on establishing an international enrichment center in Angarsk in East Siberia.

"IAEA experts will soon arrive in Moscow to conduct work to establish an international uranium enrichment center in Angarsk, and then we plan to hold a working seminar with the IAEA," Sergei Kiriyenko told journalists.

Kiriyenko said the town about 5,000 km (3,100 miles) east of Moscow had not been chosen accidentally.

"Angarsk has always been connected with the nuclear sector's civilian side. The enterprise in Angarsk can be put under IAEA control, and it has additional reserve capacities," he said.

Kiriyenko said the center will make it possible to control the amount of uranium delivered for enrichment, and the amount of outgoing enriched uranium.

The Russian nuclear chief said earlier the nuclear enrichment center could be opened as early as 2007.

He proposed granting the center special zone status to ensure that its operation enjoys legal guarantees. "We should use all the ideas and proposals made by different countries today," he said then.

Kiriyenko also said the center could have an annual reserve of low enriched uranium.

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