Iran warms to Brazil as mediator for nuclear fuel deal

Tehran - Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he agreed "in principle" with Brazil mediating a UN-backed uranium exchange deal, Fars news agency reported Wednesday.

A statement by the presidential office said that Ahmadinejad indicated his approval in a phone call to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez on Tuesday.

The statement said Ahmadinejad also agreed to discuss "further technical details" with Brazilian President Luiz Ignacio Lula da Silva during his visit to Iran on May 15.

According to a plan brokered in October by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iran's low-enriched uranium was to be exported to Russia for further enrichment. and then to France for processing into fuel for a Tehran medical reactor.

Tehran has said it was prepared either to buy the highly enriched uranium or exchange its own if the swap took place on Iranian soil.

The world powers and the Vienna-based IAEA refused to have the handover take place in Iran.

The West is pushing for further sanctions against Iran in the UN Security Council for its refusal to suspend enrichment and lack of cooperation with IAEA inspectors.

Brazil, which is a rotating member of the Security Council, has so far opposed sanctions and offered to help settle the dispute by mediating the uranium exchange deal.

Lula's preference for negotiations before imposing any punitive actions has been welcomed by Tehran.

Although the uranium exchange deal would not settle more than seven years of dispute over Iran's enrichment program, it is regarded by observers as a first step.

Tehran rejects accusations that it is working on a secret military program and nuclear weapons research.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/322080,iran-warms-to-brazil-as-mediator-for-nuclear-fuel-deal.html.