TEHRAN -- Iran’s ambassador to the International Atomic Energy Agency says Tehran regards Russia as the main party in the latest nuclear proposal.

Although Russia, the United States, and France have been mentioned in the draft agreement on exporting Iran’s enriched uranium, Iran views Russia as the main party, Ambassador Ali Asghar Soltanieh said in Vienna on Wednesday.
“We have announced that we are willing to cooperate with Russia within the framework of an agreement. Although certain other countries, including the U.S. and France, have been mentioned in the draft agreement, the main party in the agreement will be Russia,” he told ISNA on Wednesday shortly after a meeting in Vienna in which diplomats from Iran, the U.S., Russia, and France produced a draft agreement on exporting Iran’s enriched uranium.
Under the draft deal, a large consignment of Iran’s enriched uranium would be shipped out of the country for processing into fuel to make medical isotopes in a research reactor in Tehran.
Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki had said on Tuesday that Iran does not need to obtain nuclear fuel from France.
Since Paris has failed to live up to its commitments to deliver nuclear fuel to Tehran in the past, the Islamic Republic has asked that France be removed from the list of potential suppliers of enriched uranium to the country, Mottaki stated.
However, sources close to the talks have said the French delegation apologized to Iran on Wednesday for their country’s past conduct toward Iran and asked IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei to make an effort to put France back in the draft agreement with Tehran.
Soltanieh said the draft agreement will be studied and Iran has not yet decided whether to accept or reject the proposal.
The talks were constructive and successful and Iran has made its expectations clear to the negotiating parties and is waiting for their response, he added.
According to an agreement drafted by the IAEA director, all countries involved in the talks have until Friday to approve the proposed deal.
Soltanieh stated that Iran’s stance in the Vienna negotiations was based on the country’s national interests.
“The Islamic Republic of Iran… based on its national interests… will continue interacting (in order) to obtain fuel for the Tehran reactor,” he said