Russia condemns Iran's uranium expansion: Report

by AFP

MOSCOW: Russia condemned Iran's unveiling of a new uranium production facility, warning the move could hurt progress in negotiations with world powers over Tehran's contested nuclear programme, a report said today.

An unnamed source in the Russian foreign ministry told Interfax that Iran's announcement does not actually breach its obligations under various international nuclear agreements.

"At the same time, in our opinion, the expansion of Iran's nuclear programme activities does not promote the achievement of an atmosphere of mutual understanding between the (P5+1) international negotiating nations and Iran, which is so necessary for the successful continuation of the negotiating process," the foreign ministry source said.

The P5+1 nations are comprised of the five permanent UN Security Council members and Germany.

The group met with Iran for two days of talks in the Kazakh city of Almaty earlier this month that ended without a breakthrough or agreement to meet again.

Tehran days later unveiled a new uranium production facility and two extraction mines.

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad hailed the advances and boasted of mastery over "the entire chain of nuclear energy."

The world powers suspect Iran of developing a covert programme aimed at having the capacity to produce a nuclear bomb. Iran denies this and says its work is being conducted for energy and medical purposes.