BERLIN, Jan 21: Iran wants China to be involved in possible enrichment of uranium with Russia aimed at ensuring Tehran does not develop nuclear weapons, according to the German weekly Der Spiegel.

In its next edition to appear on Monday, the weekly quotes top government sources as saying Iran had told German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier of its willingness to discuss the Russian plan.

“One of the Iranians’ conditions is that China also be involved in this joint venture,” it adds.

The head of Russia’s atomic energy agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, said on Friday that ‘Iranian partners’, whom he did not name, were due in Russia in the coming days to talk about the plan, which Tehran had earlier officially snubbed.

Russia is building a nuclear power station at Bushehr in Iran, and the United States and European Union suspect that Tehran is using the project to mask a secret bomb-making program, something hotly denied by the Iranian government.

Russia has offered to handle the enrichment of Iran’s uranium supplies on its soil as part of an effort to ease fears that the civilian technology could be used for military purposes.

According to Der Spiegel, German Chancellor Angela Merkel had backed the ‘Russian solution’ in telephone calls with US President George Bush and United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan.

Moscow’s foreign ministry reported on Friday that British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw had telephoned his Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov to discuss the crisis.

On Thursday, Mr Lavrov held talks in Moscow with French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy.

Britain, Germany and France have been leading the EU negotiations with Iran aimed at ensuring its atomic programme does not pose a threat.

Following the collapse of the talks as a result of Iranian insistence on resuming nuclear research, the three asked on Wednesday for a meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on Feb 2, with a view to referring Iran to the UN Security Council for action.

However the Western powers are anxious to ensure that any action is not vetoed in the council by Russia or China.

BARADEI SEEKS MORE TIME: United Nations nuclear watchdog chief Mohamed ElBaradei wants to give Iran until March to comply with international inspections, despite an emergency meeting set for next month that could bring Tehran before the UN Security Council for possible sanctions, diplomats said on Friday.