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Final Iran deal to help N-cooperation: Official

Final Iran deal to help N-cooperation

An Iranian nuclear official says a final deal between Iran and the P5+1 will pave the way for nuclear cooperation between the Islamic Republic and other countries.

Iran and the five permanent members of the UN Security Council – the US, France, Britain, Russia, China – plus Germany wrapped up their latest round of talks aimed at reaching a comprehensive deal on the Islamic Republic’s nuclear energy program on Wednesday. Iran and the six countries agreed to meet again on May 13.

The two sides had reached an interim deal in the Swiss city of Geneva on November 24, 2013. The deal took effect on January 20.

“If the (final) deal is reached, our cooperation with other countries in the field of nuclear technology will naturally increase and there will be a possibility to use the cooperation of more countries in developing Iran’s nuclear program,” said Deputy Director of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Ahmadian.

He added that nuclear cooperation with other countries will help Iran significantly reduce the time and cost of developing its peaceful atomic program.

Ahmadian also said that Iran welcomes the cooperation of any country in building nuclear power plants in the country as long as they are proved to be fully committed to their obligations.

The official also praised Iran’s nuclear achievements among regional countries despite decade-long pressures and sanctions against the country.

Iran is among the countries with nuclear fuel cycle technology and can supply fuel for its research and power reactors, he noted.

Russia completed the construction of Iran’s first nuclear power plant in the southern port city of Bushehr, which had begun in 1975 by German companies but was halted following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

The Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) became officially operational and was connected to Iran’s national grid in September 2011, generating electricity at a 40-percent capacity.

The 1,000-megawatt plant, which is operating under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reached its maximum power generation capacity in August 2012. In September 2013, Iran officially took over from Russia the first unit of its first 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant for two years.

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