| The Israeli delegation scared off the Iranians in Russia The date for Tehran to sign the additional protocol to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons could be announced today, and in Moscow. It was assumed that the sensational news would be announced by the Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council of Iran, Hassan Rouhani, during his visit to Russia scheduled for November 3. Reliable sources in the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy convinced the correspondent of the Vremya Novostei newspaper that this would happen. However, suspicions arose yesterday that the visit of the high-ranking Iranian would not take place as planned. “The visit has been postponed,” the Iranian Embassy in Russia told our newspaper, without explaining the reasons. Although VN found out the reason: if the visit is postponed, then, of course, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon, who arrived in Moscow yesterday, is to blame (see text in the same section) .
The Israeli intends to raise the painful topic of Russian cooperation with Iran during negotiations with Putin. It would be better for Israel if this cooperation, which it perceives as threatening its security, were curtailed. Russia insists that the contacts are peaceful. The Iranian envoy, apparently, did not at all like the idea of being in Moscow at the same time as Sharon - this would have caused unnecessary speculation. It’s strange where the Russian protocol was looking, because it would be more useful to avoid such a coincidence in the timing of visits.
The long-awaited additional protocol would bring Iran's nuclear program under full international control, easing tensions between the country and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). This would allow Russia to continue nuclear cooperation with Iran without fear of reproaches for aiding the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Technically, the document must be prepared by November 20 - on this day, a session of IAEA governors will take place, which will authorize the agency's Secretary General, Muhammad ElBaradei, to sign it. In addition, the session will discuss the report Tehran provided back in mid-October on its nuclear activities. And it will become clear where Iran purchased the centrifuges on which traces of highly enriched uranium were subsequently discovered. According to foreign experts who have seen this equipment, it is definitely not Russian and looks like it was produced by the Anglo-Dutch-German company Yurenko.
The settlement of relations between Iran and the IAEA may open up opportunities for the construction of nuclear units with a total capacity of 6 GW in the country (Tehran has repeatedly announced these plans). Russia is ready to participate in tenders. In the meantime, Moscow is interested in an agreement on the return to Russia of spent nuclear fuel (SNF) from the nuclear power plant under construction in Bushehr. Sources of the Vremya Novostey newspaper in the Russian Ministry of Atomic Energy admit that the negotiations are difficult: there are disagreements on the price, as well as on the time frame during which spent nuclear fuel can be accumulated on Iranian territory before returning to Russia. The Iranians also want to force the Russians to pay for the return of spent nuclear fuel, which is completely strange.
The Ministry of Atomic Energy says that the issue of spent nuclear fuel is not the element that is holding back the progress of construction. Moreover, the Iranians are making concessions and yesterday again promised to stop their own uranium enrichment work. The launch of the reactor in Bushehr is scheduled for November-December 2005, electricity generation will occur in mid-2006. The fuel must arrive at the station no later than next summer; it is already ready for shipment and stored in special storage facilities.
On November 5, in Philadelphia, Russian Minister of Atomic Energy Alexander Rumyantsev opens an exhibition of Russian innovative nuclear technologies (about 90 projects). He will also meet with US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham and US congressmen. The topic of Iran will also be touched upon at the negotiations. Arkady DUBNOV, Andrey ZLOBIN, Elena SUPONINA |
|
