Baku, Azerbaijan, March 4
By Umid Niayesh - Trend:
Iranian top nuclear negotiator and Deputy Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi said that Iran did not need to enrich uranium to 20 percent so halted it, Iran's Fars news agency reported on March 4.
Araqchi made the remarks while briefing the Experts Assembly meeting on the procedure of talks with the P5+1 on March 4.
The deputy foreign minister said the Geneva nuclear deal was a success for Iran, adding that Iran's right was to do 3.5 percent enrichment confirmed by the agreement.
Iran and the P5+1(Russia, China, France, Germany, UK and the US) held meetings in Vienna in February to work on a comprehensive deal. The two sides signed an interim deal on Iran's nuclear energy programme in Geneva on November 24, 2013. The deal took effect on Jan. 20.
Under the agreement, six major powers agreed to give Iran access to its $4.2 billion in revenues blocked overseas, if the country fulfils the deal's terms which offer sanctions relief in exchange for steps on curbing the Iranian nuclear programme.
The two sides aim to continue their talks to reach a final agreement to fully resolve the decade-old dispute over the Islamic Republic's nuclear energy programme.
Araqchi will respond to the Expert Assembly representatives` questions about the Arak heavy water reactor at the next meeting of the Assembly, scheduled to be held on the evening of March 4.
Iran's heavy water production plant and reactor which remains under construction is located near the city of Arak.
The U.S. and the EU are concerned that the facility could be used to produce plutonium which can be used to fuel a nuclear weapon as an alternative to highly enriched uranium. Iran says its atomic programme is peaceful and the Arak reactor is intended to produce isotopes for cancer patients.
Iran has agreed to suspend the installation activity at the reactor based on the Geneva nuclear deal.
Edited by S.M.