MOSCOW, April 11 (RIA Novosti) - Russia said Tuesday that an offer to enrich uranium for Iran's nuclear power plants was still open and that it looked forward to planned talks between the U.S. and the Islamic Republic.
"[The proposal] is still on the table and remains an important part of search for solutions" to the long-standing impasse around Iran's nuclear program, Sergei Lavrov said.
Russia's proposal to open a joint venture to enrich uranium for Iran was backed by the United States and its allies, but Iran rejected the move, saying it did not want to be dependant on other countries for nuclear fuel supplies.
The Islamic Republic, which has repeatedly denied Western accusations of plans to build nuclear weapons, also insists on its right to develop civilian nuclear technology under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. But it has said the proposal was still on the negotiating table.
Lavrov also said Russia, which is helping Iran build an $800-million nuclear power plant and has mediated in the long-running dispute, hoped upcoming talks between the United States and Iran would bring a solution to the problem.
"There is no competition between [Russia and the U.S. in the matter]," Lavrov said.
The U.S. and Iran are planning to meet to discuss the situation in Iran's neighbor Iraq, although the date of talks is not clear so far.
A senior Iranian official said last week that an agenda for talks had still to be drawn up.
Iran, which has called for a pullout of foreign troops from Iraq as a precondition for peace in the country, said in March that it was prepared to meet with the U.S. at the request of Iraqi authorities. The U.S. says Iran is promoting instability in Iraq by aiding insurgents, accusations Tehran denies.
