TOKYO, February 27 (RIA Novosti, Andrei Fesyun) - The Japanese foreign minister said Monday his country was interested in the details of the upcoming Russian-Iranian deal to establish a joint uranium enrichment venture in Russia.
Taro Aso told a news briefing ahead of a meeting with his Iranian counterpart Manouchehr Mottaki: "We have insufficient information about the [Russian-Iranian] agreement on establishing a joint uranium enrichment venture, and I hope to discuss the details during our meeting [with Mottaki]."
During his visit in Japan from February 27 to March 1, Mottaki is also expected to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi on Tuesday. 
Japan, one of world's largest consumers of Iranian oil at 550,000 bbl/d, is deeply troubled by the possibility that economic sanctions could be imposed against Iran if the country's nuclear file is referred to the UN Security Council, and thus welcomes any compromise that would avoid sanctions.
The mooted deal between Iran and Russia, which is currently building an $800-million nuclear power plant near the southern Iranian port city of Bushehr, is seen as a potential compromise in the crisis around the Islamic Republic's nuclear program. Although Tehran has consistently said it only wants nuclear power for peaceful purposes, the United States and other nations have concerns, as enriched uranium is a vital component for an atomic bomb. 
On February 26, Iranian Vice President Gholamreza Agazadeh said the decision to establish a joint uranium enrichment venture could be made before the March 6 meeting of the board of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the UN nuclear watchdog.
