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MOSCOW, July 2: Iran offered Russia a chance on Wednesday to build more nuclear power stations in the Islamic state.
Iran’s atomic energy chief and Vice President Gholam-Reza Aghazadeh said officials here assured him in three days of talks that Russia intended to push ahead with its Iranian nuclear link despite protest from the United States and Israel.
“Beside Bushehr, we intend to build several more nuclear power stations with the overall power capacity of 6,000 megawatts, and we are offering Russia a chance to take up this opportunity,” Mr Aghazadeh told the ITASS-TASS new agency.
Russia has been building Iran’s first nuclear power station in Bushehr, which is due to go online in 2005.
Mr Aghazadeh’s comments appeared to refer to a memorandum Moscow and Tehran inked in July 2002. Russia’s government then voiced its right to build a second nuclear power plant in Iran and engage in long-term atomic cooperation with a country labelled by Washington as a member of an “axis of evil.”
The 2002 document said Russia intended to build all four reactors at the southern Bushehr plant — only one is nearing completion so far — along with two more 1,000 megawatt blocks in Ahvaz, some 100 kilometres from the Iraqi border.
The 2002 declaration was published less than two weeks after Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev declared that Bushehr would be Russia’s last nuclear project in Iran.
There was no immediate reaction from Russian officials to Mr Aghazadeh’s latest offer, made at the end of a three-day visit to Moscow.
Mr Aghazadeh said the trip was very successful and has been perceived in Iran with enthusiasm because Russia reaffirmed its willingness to cooperate with Iran in the nuclear sphere, as before.
“Russia is our most trusted partner in this area.”
He also defended Iran’s country’s nuclear drive.
“The international community has found no blemishes (in Iran’s nuclear programme) — there are none,” he added.
Iran says it is ready to allow closer UN inspections but only under the condition that other countries would in return assist it in developing nuclear power plants.
That condition has been rejected by the United States. JAPAN’S CONCERNS REJECTED: Iran’s foreign minister on Wednesday played down a decision by Tokyo to link the signing of an estimated two-billion dollar oil deal to greater transparency from the Islamic republic over its suspect nuclear programme.
“No contract has been concluded yet, and we only gave Japan the priority in signing this contract. The time limit has now ended,” Mr Kamal Kharazi told reporters.
On Tuesday, a Japanese government spokesman said Tokyo would watch how Iran clears up growing suspicion about its nuclear ambitions before it approves a huge deal to develop the Azadegan oil field.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yasuo Fukuda said he did not think the crude oil plan — currently being negotiated by a consortium of Japanese firms — will move ahead unless international fears are resolved.
The Japanese consortium includes trading house Tomen Corp., Inpex Corp., and Japan Petroleum Exploration Co.
But Mr Kharazi said the Japanese firms “can of course continue their negotiations”, but would no longer be given signing privileges. “Others can also take part in the negotiations,” the foreign minister said.
The Azadegan oilfield, situated in the southwest of Iran, is considered to be the Islamic republic’s most important with estimated reserves of 26 billion barrels of oil.
Iranian President Mohammad Khatami had given Japan the priority to develop the field during a visit to Tokyo in 2000.—AFP
