TEHRAN — Iran is ready to consider an exchange of nuclear fuel on foreign soil as proposed by world powers if it gets "guarantees," the country's atomic chief said on Thursday.
"Iran is always ready to exchange fuel -- the requirement is to have concrete guarantees," Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted by the state television website as saying.
"There are many ways to give Iran concrete guarantees. We can discuss these guarantees during negotiations," he said in response to a question on the possibility that an exchange takes place in a third country such as Turkey.
"We are ready to begin negotiations without preconditions," he added, recalling that an "Iranian proposal is on the table."
The United States said Monday it was "still interested" in an offer to swap nuclear fuel with Iran, despite seeking a new set of sanctions against Tehran for its defiant nuclear enrichment programme.
Western powers want Iran to halt the programme as they believe it is masking a drive for atomic weapons, a claim vehemently denied by Tehran.
Iran has meanwhile said it would talk with the entire UN Security Council in an attempt to break the deadlock over the fuel, which it needs for its nuclear research reactor in Tehran.
The International Atomic Energy Agency proposed in October a plan whereby Iran would hand over its stockpile of low-enriched uranium to Russia for enrichment to the required level of 20 percent.
The material would then be processed by France into the necessary fuel rods for the Tehran reactor, that makes radioisotopes for medical purposes such as the treatment of cancer.
Citing a "lack of confidence," Tehran rejected the proposal and offered an exchange of fuel simultaneously and in smaller quantities within the borders of country, but the West rejected its counter-offer.
Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iizxcN_omcotwb7WqnNtw6VH0rvQ
"Iran is always ready to exchange fuel -- the requirement is to have concrete guarantees," Ali Akbar Salehi was quoted by the state television website as saying.
"There are many ways to give Iran concrete guarantees. We can discuss these guarantees during negotiations," he said in response to a question on the possibility that an exchange takes place in a third country such as Turkey.
"We are ready to begin negotiations without preconditions," he added, recalling that an "Iranian proposal is on the table."
The United States said Monday it was "still interested" in an offer to swap nuclear fuel with Iran, despite seeking a new set of sanctions against Tehran for its defiant nuclear enrichment programme.
Western powers want Iran to halt the programme as they believe it is masking a drive for atomic weapons, a claim vehemently denied by Tehran.
Iran has meanwhile said it would talk with the entire UN Security Council in an attempt to break the deadlock over the fuel, which it needs for its nuclear research reactor in Tehran.
The International Atomic Energy Agency proposed in October a plan whereby Iran would hand over its stockpile of low-enriched uranium to Russia for enrichment to the required level of 20 percent.
The material would then be processed by France into the necessary fuel rods for the Tehran reactor, that makes radioisotopes for medical purposes such as the treatment of cancer.
Citing a "lack of confidence," Tehran rejected the proposal and offered an exchange of fuel simultaneously and in smaller quantities within the borders of country, but the West rejected its counter-offer.
Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5iizxcN_omcotwb7WqnNtw6VH0rvQ
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