MOSCOW, Oct 17: Russia called on Iran on Sunday to ease world concerns about its nuclear ambitions by ratifying the additional protocol of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) and halting all uranium enrichment, the Ria-Novosti news agency reported.
"The IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) would like to seek more steps to strengthen trust in Iran's nuclear programme, and Iran must take such steps," Foreign Minister Serguei Lavrov was quoted as saying in the Tajik capital Dushanbe.
Lavrov urged the Iranian parliament to ratify the additional protocol of the NPT, which Tehran signed in December 2003 and which steps up international controls on the nuclear activities of signatory states.
He also called on Tehran to immediately freeze all uranium enrichment activities, another key demand of the international community, Ria-Novosti reported.
In Tehran, the Iranian foreign minister defended the country's right to master the nuclear fuel cycle, ahead of an expected proposal from Europe calling for Tehran to abandon such work in exchange for diplomatic and trade incentives.
"So far we have not yet received the European proposals. But they will be acceptable if they respect our national interests and recognise our legitimate right to the civil nuclear technology, especially the nuclear fuel cycle," Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters on Sunday.
"Our right is not negotiable, but we will obtain our right through negotiation and dialogue," he added, saying that "good discussions" have been held with the Europeans and would continue.
Britain, France and Germany - which have been spearheading negotiations with Iran - are expected to offer Iran incentives in the coming days to persuade it to halt its controversial fuel cycle work surrounding the enrichment of uranium.
Diplomats say the package from the so-called 'EU Three' would give Iran access to imported nuclear fuel and other advantages in return for a total suspension of its fuel cycle work. Iran has so far refused.-Agencies
