Iran produces 40 kilos of 20% enriched uranium

TEHRAN, Jan. 9 (MNA) -- Iranian acting Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi announced that Iran has produced nearly 40 kilograms of uranium enriched to the purity level of 20 percent.

Salehi expressed hope that Iran would be able to load the first batch of the fuel into the core of the Tehran research reactor by the end of the first half of the next Iranian calendar year, which starts on March 21, 2011.

He also said that Iran has always voiced readiness to hold talks with the Vienna group (the International Atomic Energy Agency, the United States, France, and Russia) on a fuel swap based on the Tehran Declaration.

But the more the Vienna group postpones the talks, the more meaningless holding talks will be, he added.

On May 17, 2010, Iran, Turkey, and Brazil issued a declaration, according to which Iran was to ship 1200 kilograms of its low-enriched uranium to Turkey to be exchanged for 120 kilograms of 20 percent enriched nuclear fuel to power the Tehran research reactor, which produces radioisotopes for cancer treatment. According to the agreement, the exchange was to take place in Turkey under the supervision of the IAEA and Iran.

He went on to say that Iran has constructed an advanced plant at the Isfahan nuclear facility for manufacturing nuclear fuel plates.

With the construction of the plant, Iran is now among the few countries that can manufacture both nuclear fuel rods and plates, he added.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Salehi said that a considerable number of Iranians who are currently detained in Iraq are to be released.

He explained that Iraqi officials have taken important steps to help obtain the release of the imprisoned Iranian nationals.