Tehran Times Political Desk
TEHRAN – Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told reporters on Wednesday that Iran, Turkey and Brazil will soon resume talks on the nuclear fuel swap deal known as the Tehran Declaration.
On May 17, Iran, Turkey, and Brazil signed a declaration according to which, Iran would ship 1200 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey to be exchanged for 120 kilograms of 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel rods to power the Tehran research reactor, which produces radioisotopes for cancer treatment.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said on Tuesday that Russia and the U.S. had offered to hold talks with Iran on the provision of nuclear fuel. “I very much hope that Iran will agree to this and this will give an opportunity to prevent the deterioration of the situation,” Lavrov said.
On Russia’s offer, Mottaki said, “Our criterion would be the Tehran Declaration and we will review the Tehran agreement on fuel swap with Turkey and Brazil and after consultations with these two countries, (we) will announce our final view.”
On Iran’s response to a letter by the Vienna group (the U.S., Russia and France), Mottaki said Iran will consult with Turkey and Brazil and then will prepare its response.
About Iran’s letters to fifteen members of the Security Council, he said the overall content of the letters is Tehran’s complaint about the council’s sanctions resolution.
On June 9, the UN Security Council approved the fourth round of sanctions against Iran in a 12-2 vote, but Brazil and Turkey voted against the resolution and Lebanon abstained.
Elsewhere in his remarks, he said Iran believes that certain countries, which have different approaches, should be added to the 5+1 group (the U.S., Britain, France, Russia, China and Germany) in negotiations over Iran’s nuclear issue.
Therefore, an “assortment of votes” can help the negotiations make progress, he added.