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Iran to seek international backing for russian plan Original Source Link: (May no longer be active)
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000101&sid=aswXxbv4JkeM&refer=japanhttp://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000101&sid=aswXxbv4JkeM&refer=japan
Iran to Seek International Backing for Russian Uranium Plan
Feb. 28 (Bloomberg) -- Iran plans to seek international backing for a plan to have Russia enrich uranium for the Islamic Republic to ease concern about its nuclear program, said Iran Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki.
Iran has a right to nuclear power generation, Mottaki told the Japan Business Federation leaders today in Tokyo, according to federation official Masashi Oshita, who briefed reporters after the speech.
Iran's nuclear program, which the country says is to produce energy for civilian use, has been criticized by the U.S. and the European Union as a project to develop nuclear weapons. The United Nations will meet March 6 to decide whether action be taken against Iran. Japan is urging a compromise to avoid sanctions on Iran, its third-largest oil supplier, which may jeopardize development of the Azadegan oilfield in the country.
``We have had one of the most stable relationships with Japan over the past 50 years in our foreign relations and this demonstrates the significance each of our countries attaches to each other,'' Mottaki said at the start of his speech, before reporters were ordered to leave the room.
Iran reached a preliminary accord with Russia on Feb. 26 to enrich uranium for the Middle East nation. Russia and Iran are expected to continue the talks in Moscow within two days to complete the agreement, Iranian Vice President for Atomic Energy Qolam-Reza Aqazadeh said on Feb. 26.
Mottaki, who is on a three-day visit to Japan, told Japanese Foreign Minster Taro Aso that Iran's uranium program was ``impossible'' to stop, Agence France-Presse reported yesterday, citing foreign ministry officials in Japan.
Oilfield Development
Japan's Inpex Corp., the nation's biggest oil producer, has a contract to develop the $2 billion Azadegan field in Iran. Development at Azadegan has been delayed since Inpex won the contract in February 2004 and so far the company has failed to award any work contracts.
Inpex has a 75 percent stake in Azadegan and a subsidiary of Iran's state oil company National Iranian Oil Co. holds the remainder. Inpex may transfer a 20 percent stake in Azadegan to France's Total SA, the Asahi newspaper said on Dec. 29.
Azadegan, Iran's biggest oil discovery in more than three decades, may produce as much as 260,000 barrels of oil a day, according to Inpex. Japan, the world's third-largest oil user, consumed about 4.3 million barrels of oil a day in January.
Last Updated: February 28, 2006 03:51 EST
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