July 30: Iran said on Friday it was ready for immediate talks with the United States, Russia and France over an exchange of nuclear fuel and added that it was also against stockpiling higher enriched uranium.
The comments by the Islamic republic’s atomic chief, Mr Ali Akbar Salehi, came as Washington decided to fan out across Asia, West Asia and the United Arab Emirates asking its partners to levy tighter sanctions on Tehran.
“We are ready even in the next few days to start negotiations with the other parties over the fuel swap,” Mr Salehi was quoted as saying by Mehr news agency. He said talks on this issue with the so-called Vienna group comprising the United States, Russia and France will be held in Vienna, where the UN atomic watchdog the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is based.
The Vienna group has raised questions about a proposal forwarded by Iran, Brazil and Turkey concerning a fuel swap. The May 17 proposal, known as the Tehran Declaration, stipulates that Tehran send 1,200 kg of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey in return for 20 percent high-enriched uranium to be supplied at a later date, which, when converted into fuel plates, will be used as fuel for a Tehran-based research reactor.