Tehran not to produce nuclear fuel?

Russia calls on Tehran not to produce its own nuclear fuel, but count on Russia instead, who could provide Iran with this fuel during the whole period of operation of the Iranian nuclear power plant (NPP) (late 2005 is the time of planned physical launch of the first unit of this NPP, being built by Russian specialists on the Iranian coast of the Persian Gulf), Russian Nuclear Power Minister Alexander Rumyantsev told a Thursday press conference in the US Department of Energy in Washington.

Rumyantsev reported that, according to the Russian side's opinion, Iran's production of fuel for the Iranian reactor wouldn't be expedient.

Noting that Russia can continuously provide Iran with nuclear fuel, Rumyantsev stressed it would be several times cheaper.

The Russian minister emphasized that the construction of an NPP in Bushehr does not bring Tehran closer to possession of military purpose nuclear technologies. Rumyantsev noted it was necessary to decide the issue of returning spent nuclear fuel from Iran to Russia.

"The new fuel delivery is conditioned by spent fuel return to Russia," Rumyantsev stressed.