Russia, Iran sign nuclear fuel deal

By Ali Akbar Dareini
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published February 28, 2005

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BUSHEHR, Iran -- Iran and Russia, ignoring U.S. objections, signed a nuclear fuel agreement yesterday that is key to bringing Tehran's first reactor online by the middle of next year.

The long-delayed deal, signed at the heavily guarded Bushehr nuclear facility in southern Iran, dramatized President Bush's failure to persuade the Russians to curtail support for the Iranian nuclear program during his summit with Vladimir Putin last week in Slovakia.

Under the deal, Russia will provide nuclear fuel to Iran, then take back the spent fuel, a step meant to ensure it cannot be diverted into a weapons program. Iran also has agreed to allow the U.N. nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, to monitor Bushehr and the fuel deliveries.

Iranian Vice President Gholamreza Aghazadeh and Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency chief Alexander Rumyantsev signed the agreement after touring the $800 million complex.

"Today, a very important development occurred, and that was the protocol on returning nuclear fuel, which we signed together. In the next few weeks, many Russian technicians will arrive in Bushehr" to finish the plant, Mr. Rumyantsev said.

The officials refused to discuss the details of shipping the nuclear fuel to Iran and the spent fuel back to Russia, but insisted the agreement conforms to international nuclear regulations.

"Iran observes all the regulations on the prohibition of the spread of nuclear weapons," Mr. Rumyantsev said.

The White House declined comment, as did the State Department.

Washington accuses Tehran of covertly trying to build a nuclear bomb, which Iran denies. Last week's summit between Mr. Bush and Mr. Putin in Bratislava, Slovakia, had touched on American concerns over Russian support for Iran's nuclear program.

Mr. Putin has said he is sure Iran's intentions are merely to generate energy, not create weapons, and that Russian cooperation with Tehran would continue.

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