Russia, France approve Iran uranium supply deal

Washington, 23 October (WashingtonTV)—Russia and France on Friday accepted the proposals by the International Atomic Energy Agency on a third-party uranium enrichment deal with Iran.

On Wednesday, the United Nations’ nuclear watchdog set a Friday deadline for France, Russia, Iran and the United States to give their formal response to an arrangement, under which Iran would send most of its low-enriched uranium abroad for further processing, for use in a research reactor in Tehran.

The United States said on Wednesday that it expected to approve the draft agreement by Friday.

A member of Iran’s negotiating team, who attended the talks in Vienna earlier this week, said today that Tehran was awaiting a “positive and constructive” response from the world powers, reports Reuters.

“The other party is expected to avoid past mistakes in violating agreements … and to gain Iran’s trust,” the unnamed official said.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said today that Moscow expected all parties to approve the deal.

“We are counting on not only Iran, but all the other participants fo the negotiations, to confirm their readiness to implement the proposed scheme,” he told reporters in Moscow, according to Reuters.

French Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Bernard Valero, told reporter in Paris: “The draft agreement suits France. We have made this known in an official manner.”

The spokesperson added that IAEA chief, Mohamed ElBaradei, “is waiting for a clear response from Iran,” reports AFP.

During talks in Vienna this week, Iran said it did not want France to be part of any dealDiplomats say that Russia will take all of the uranium Iran will ship, but it will sub-contract any additional processing to France, so that no direct negotiations between Paris and Tehran are required, reports AFP.

Sources: Reuters, Agence France-Presse

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