Iran rejects moratorium on uranium enrichment
Moscow: Iran's nuclear negotiator has rejected Moscow's demand for the reimposition of moratorium on uranium enrichment as part of the package for floating a nuclear joint venture in Russia.

Iran's negotiator Ali Larjani said, "A moratorium is needed if something dangerous exists. We are at the research stage and all our activities are transparent," he said. He has arrived in the country to carry forward Moscow-Tehran talks on setting up a joint venture for uranium enrichment in Russia.

Larijani said Iran was ready for any inspections by the IAEA if the inspections complied with international law. He said questions from the UN nuclear agency that Iran was answering were not related to the moratorium. He said we are defending the rights given to Iran within the IAEA. We agree to IAEA inspections, to those international inspections that are legal he said.

The talks between the two countries which started after a small delay, are expected to last not less than four hours according to agency reports.

US President George W Bush during his first visit to Afghanistan on Wednesday said Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

He said the most destabilising thing that can happen in this region and in the world is for Iran to develop a nuclear weapon he said.
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