Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 17
By Fatih Karimov – Trend
China’s top nuclear official discussed peaceful nuclear cooperation with Iranian counterparts during a visit to Tehran on Oct. 17, IRNA news agency reported.
Sun Qin, head of China National Nuclear Corporation (CNNC) held talks with Ali Akbar Salehi, head of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and Mohammad Ahmadian, the managing director of Nuclear Power Production and Development Company as well as officials in charge of modernization project of Iran’s Arak heavy water reactor.
The sides expressed interest to boost cooperation in various fields including peaceful usage of nuclear energy and expediting the modernization process of Arak reactor.
The Chines delegation also paid a visit to Arak heavy water reactor, located in central Iran. Also known as IR-40, the reactor is a 40 megawatt (thermal) heavy water unit.
Under the nuclear agreement, achieved between Iran and P5+1 (the US, the UK, France, China, Russia plus Germany) and came into force in January 2016, Iran removed the Arak reactor’s core and a new reactor with minimum plutonium production capacity will be installed there.
Tehran has already filed a draft containing the entire negotiations with China on redesigning the Arak reactor, which were attended by other 5+1 members, and sent the draft to China for consideration.
An Iranian delegation previously visited China and held negotiations on the reactor’s modernization issue.