The Islamic Republic and the European Union will start the
construction of an advanced nuclear safety center in Iran in the near
future, Iran’s nuclear chief says, PressTV reported.
Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali Akbar
Salehi made the remarks in a joint press conference on Saturday with
European Climate Action and Energy Commissioner Miguel Arias Canete, who
is in Tehran to take part in the first-ever Iran-EU Business Forum on
Sustainable Energy.
Salehi added that the nuclear safety center would extend services to regional countries as well.
He added that he has now held three rounds of talks with the EU
commissioner over the past 1.5 years, adding that "very good
achievements" have since been made and a large portion of the agreements
have been implemented.
The AEOI chief noted that the more the interaction between the two sides, the sooner the agreements would be implemented.
Salehi said Iran and the EU also plan to set up a roadmap based on
Euratom - a complementary research program for nuclear research and
training.
According to this roadmap, Iran can use Euratom facilities in nuclear research and development, he said.
Euratom aims to pursue nuclear research and training activities with
an emphasis on continuously improving nuclear safety, security and
radiation protection, notably to contribute to the long-term
decarbonisation of the energy system in a safe, efficient and secure
way.
Salehi further said Iran and the EU plan to draw up a five-year plan
for bilateral cooperation and noted that the union would "most likely"
supply the €20 million credit required for the project.
He expressed hope that Iran and the EU would bolster their nuclear
cooperation, saying the two sides plan to sign two agreements in this
regard.
Iran and the European Commission on April 18 signed the first-ever
project for nuclear safety cooperation within the framework of a
landmark nuclear agreement, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of
Action (JCPOA), signed between the Islamic Republic and the P5+1 group
of countries in 2015.
The €2.5 million project is aimed at improving the capabilities of
the Iranian Nuclear Regulatory Authority (INRA) by preparing feasibility
study for the Nuclear Safety Center under the JCPOA.
It is the first part of a €5 million action plan approved by the
European Union in 2016 under the Instrument for Nuclear Safety
Cooperation.
A second project for the stress test at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran is scheduled to be signed in the coming weeks.
Iran and the five permanent members of the United Nations Security
Council - the United States, France, Britain, Russia and China plus
Germany - signed the JCPOA on July 14, 2015 and started implementing it
on January 16, 2016.
