Baku, Azerbaijan, Nov. 11
By Khalid Kazimov - Trend:
Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has criticized the slow pace of scientific progress in the country.
"The released statistics revealed that the rate of our scientific progress in the world has fallen by two steps. This is bad," the supreme leader's official website quoted him as saying at a meeting with chancellors of Iranian universities and science officials Nov. 11.
He further criticized those who believe that Iran doesn't need nuclear energy as the country owns oil and gas resources
Khamenei added that the country's future needs regarding energy should be considered in scientific plans.
He also said that the West's demand for selling 20 percent enriched uranium was "humiliating" but eventually it ended up in Tehran's favor as Iranian experts produced that by their own efforts.
Earlier on May 17, 2010, Brazil, Iran and Turkey agreed on a plan by which Iran would export half of its low-enriched uranium (LEU) stockpile abroad in return for 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel for a medical research reactor.
However, additional terms of the proposal were not supported by parties, and consequently the deal wasn't approved by any of the sides.
On July 14, 2015, after several months of talks, Iran and the P5+1 (the US, Russia, China, France, the UK, and Germany) announced a final accord, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), which is to curb Iran's nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of most international sanctions against Tehran.