June 23, 2007
Iran Shows Willingness to Compromise
on Nuclear Issue
Vienna
A new round of talks may bring a way out of the stalemate over
Iran's nuclear programme, said International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
Director General Mohamed ElBaradei.
Iran was willing to revive the six-party talks and work to resolve
outstanding issues with the IAEA, ElBaradei said after meeting with
Iranian chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani here Friday.
"Dr. Larijani committed himself and Iran to resolve all outstanding
issues," he said.
"I hope in the next few weeks we should be able to draw a plan of
action which I hope we should be able to conclude within two months
and then start the implementation."
ElBaradei and Larijani met Friday at the IAEA's Vienna headquarters
to discuss ways out of the impasse over Iran's nuclear programme.
Offering no specifics of the modalities, or if this included the
tricky issue of Security Council sanctions, Larijani said Iran was
ready to work on an "appropriate framework".
Talks between Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security
Council plus Germany broke off in August 2005.
Defying UN resolutions demanding a freeze of its uranium enrichment
programme, Iran has forged ahead extending its enrichment capacities
despite renewed sanction threats by the Security Council.
Iran is currently operating about 2,000 centrifuges for uranium
enrichment, expecting to increase this number to 3,000 by late July.
Larijani again asked the West to "face the reality" that Iran
mastered the capabilities of uranium enrichment and to show more
flexibility in view of those facts on the ground.
Enriched uranium can be used to fuel nuclear power plants, but if
enriched to a higher degree becomes building material for nuclear
bombs. There are international concerns that Iran clandestinely
pursues nuclear weapons, a charge the oil-rich country denies,
saying its programme is aimed solely towards generating electricity.
Tehran also denied Friday reports quoting Interior Minister Mostafa
Pour-Mohammadi that Iran had already enriched 100 kg of uranium.
The interior ministry's public relations office said the minister
only referred to the progress and potentials of Iran's nuclear
programmes but gave no details on centrifuges or quantity of
enriched uranium.
Experts say that about 3,000 centrifuges running for one year are
enough to produce enough enriched uranium for one nuclear weapon but
point out that Iran may still be years away from the expertise to
build bombs should they wish to do so.
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