Russia Keeps Proposal to Remove Iran's Highly Enriched Uranium 'on the Table'

MOSCOW, May 27. /TASS/. Russia’s proposal to remove Iran’s highly enriched uranium remains "on the table," but Moscow is not imposing anything on anyone, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov told reporters. "I emphasize that our proposal, which Russian President [Vladimir Putin] has repeatedly mentioned - to transport the material to Russia in a sequence of steps acceptable to the parties, so that ultimately this material can be used to produce fuel for Iranian reactors - remains fully ‘on the table,’ and we are not withdrawing it. But we are not imposing anything on anyone. We simply consider our idea to be quite reasonable. It stems from the experience we already had during the period when the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action was in effect," the senior diplomat noted at the State Duma. In response to a question about the possible fate of Iran’s highly enriched uranium, Ryabkov emphasized that Russia is aware of the ongoing discussions, as well as "various kinds of speculations and multifaceted ideas being put forward by different parties." "Ultimately, we proceed from the assumption that if the agreement currently under discussion is reached, the plan of action on highly enriched uranium in Iran will be further elaborated on in the future," the deputy minister added.