Russia turned down repeated requests from Iran to help extract recently-announced uranium deposits discovered in the country, its deputy atomic energy minister said Tuesday.
"Uranium deposits were detected in Iran long ago and every time we meet, the Iranians ask us whether the Russian side can help with mining," Valery Govorukhin said, quoted by ITAR-TASS news agency.
He said Moscow had told Tehran repeatedly that its cooperation was limited to "the construction of a central reactor at Bushehr, the delivery of nuclear fuel for the entire period of the reactor's use and the return and treatment of the nuclear fuel to Russia," Govorukhin said.
Moreover, Govorukhin said Iran's nuclear program was not yet well-developed enough to turn the domestic uranium deposits into nuclear power.
He said Tehran had also asked for help in exploiting these uranium deposits from experts from other countries but no one had yet stepped forward. (Albawaba.com)
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