Iran ready to halt 20% uranium enrichment, but West must reciprocate: Russian FM

TEHRAN,June 19(MNA) – Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that Iran is prepared to halt its 20 percent uranium enrichment program, urging Western nations to end their sanctions against Tehran. According to RT, in an interview published on the Russian Foreign Ministry’s website on Tuesday, the Russian foreign minister said, “For the first time in many years, there are encouraging signs in the process of settlement of the situation with the Iranian nuclear program.” “The major role in this, of course, have (been) played the gradual and mutual principles proposed by the six-party member countries, which open to Iran the prospect of reducing and ultimately lifting of the sanctions imposed – in exchange for fair and consistently deepening cooperation with the international community,” Lavrov stated. The main bone of contention between Tehran and the West is Iran’s uranium enrichment program. Iran says all its nuclear activities are totally peaceful, and, as an International Atomic Energy Agency member and a nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) signatory, it has the legal right to produce nuclear fuel for its research reactors and nuclear power plants. According to the New York Times, in February talks between Iran and world powers over the country’s nuclear program, the major powers dropped their demand that Iran shut down its underground uranium-enrichment plant at Fordo, where it enriches uranium to 20 percent, and insisted instead that Iran suspend enrichment work there and agree to unspecified conditions that would make it hard to quickly resume production. They also said that Iran could continue to keep a small amount of uranium enriched to 20 percent for use in a research reactor that produces medical isotopes. If Tehran agreed to these steps, the major powers said they would suspend some sanctions against Iran, including trade in gold and petrochemicals, and would not impose new sanctions through the United Nations Security Council and the European Union. The main oil and financial sanctions would not be loosened. Iran’s main demand is that its right to uranium enrichment, as stipulated in the NPT, be recognized.