Baku, Azerbaijan, Dec. 9
By Fatih Karimov - Trend:
Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif discussed redesigning of Arak heavy water reactor during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.
Zarif and Yi met on the sidelines of the Heart of Asia-The Istanbul Process Ministerial Conference in Islamabad, Pakistan on Dec. 9, ISNA news agency reported.
"We conferred on regional issues, mutual ties and the future of Tehran-Beijing strategic relations as well as redesigning the Arak heavy water reactor," Zarif said.
The two parties discussed the preliminary steps for implementation of the reactor's redesign, the top Iranian diplomat said.
Under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) clinched last July, Iran should redesign and rebuild a modernized heavy water research reactor in Arak in order inter alia, to avoid the production of weapons-grade plutonium.
Last month the P5+1(the US, the UK, France, Russia, China, and Germany) signed a document on the issue.
The reactor will be redesigned and rebuilt within five years, Abbas Araqchi, Iran's deputy foreign minister said earlier.
"One year has been considered for redesigning and three-four years have been allocated for rebuilding," Araqchi added.