Iran's President Mohammad Khatami on Wednesday inspected the uranium enrichment facilities in the central city of Natanz. Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Gholam Reza Aqazadeh, Governor General of Isfahan Mahmoud Hassani and Vice-President and Head of the Department of the Environment (DoE) Massoumeh Ebtekar as well as IAEO managers were accompanying the president in his inspection tour of Natanz.
Talking to reporters, Deputy IAEO Head for International and Planning Affairs Mohammad Saeedi termed the uranium enrichment project of Natanz as the "heart of the fuel cycle" of Iran, saying President Khatami was briefed on nuclear know-how developed by Iranian experts.
According to IRNA, he said the Natanz project enjoys the highest level of fuel cycle technology, adding "This project has been implemented to provide nuclear fuel needed for both the nuclear reactors, which will come on stream in the future, and the Bushehr power plant."
He stressed that all processes of enrichment have been suspended in Natanz complex and said executive works of the project were launched in 2000. "If Iran was not going through the voluntary enrichment suspension period, the Natanz project would have been inaugurated last year."
The uranium enrichment complex of Natanz, in an area of some 450 hectares, is located 40 kilometers away from the city of Kashan.
About 50 local and international reporters and photographers covered the Iranian president's Natanz inspection tour.
