Will Sign Key UN Nuclear Protocol
Bill Gasperini
A senior Iranian official said on Monday that Tehran is suspending its
uranium enrichment（鈾濃縮）program and will accept closer international inspection of its nuclear facilities. The head of Iran National Security Council, Hasan Rowhani, made the announcement ahead of top-level talks in Moscow.
In what he termed an official announcement, Hasan Rowhani pledged Iran will sign a
protocol（協(xié)議）to the
Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty（核不擴(kuò)散條約）that allows for more stringent inspections of its nuclear sites. He said Tehran is also temporarily suspending its uranium-enrichment process.
The Iranian official is in Moscow for talks on restarting Russian construction of a controversial nuclear power plant that was suspended earlier this year.
Iran had said before it would comply with international demands about its nuclear program, but, until now, left the
time frame（期限）vague.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said he was satisfied with Iran's action, adding that he saw no reason why Russia should not continue with its program of nuclear cooperation with Tehran.
Russia delayed the launch of the 0 million power plant at
Bushehr（布什爾）earlier this year, demanding that spent nuclear fuel from the plant must be returned to Russia for disposal. The power plant is not expected to begin operating until at least 2005.
The Iranian official said Russia is prepared not only to resume the project, but discuss the construction of another
reactor（反應(yīng)堆）at Bushehr.
Speaking to a Russian television network, Mr. Rowhani insisted that Iran has only peaceful intentions, despite suspicions in the international community.
He says, Iran is stopping the uranium enrichment process Monday. He also says Iran is not producing nuclear weapons and the use of such weapons is not part of the government's military doctrine.
The United States has long accused Iran of maintaining a
clandestine（秘密的）nuclear-weapons program. Doubts about Iran's nuclear ambitions increased after traces of weapons-grade uranium were found on centrifuges at two Iranian facilities.
|
