The head of Russia's Federal Atomic Energy Agency asserted on Friday that Teheran is "extremely interested" in proposal to enrich uranium for the Iranian nuclear industry on Russian territory, and is "ready to move to a detailed discussion" of the idea.

Moscow is proposing that uranium be enriched by a Russian- Iranian venture to be set up in Russia, the Interfax news agency reported.

"Our Iranian partners are due to arrive within the next few days and negotiations are permanently in progress," Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Federal Atomic Energy Agency, said at a meeting with President Vladimir Putin on Friday.

"We are fully prepared, up to the point where production units are ready," Kiriyenko said.

Putin noted that "security issues must always be borne in mind in connection with plans of development."

Kiriyenko responded that his agency had drafted two programs giving priority to proposed security measures and that "today all Russian standards and requirements in the field are stricter than the world norm."

The senior official said he had the Russian proposal for uranium enrichment on Russian territory and a contract in mind under which Iran is to return spent nuclear fuel to Russia.

Iran is facing referral to the UN Security Council over concerns it may seek to build an atomic bomb. Teheran has denied the charge and analysts fear it might hold back crude exports in response to any punishment from the West.

Under the call of the European trio of Britain, France and Germany, the International Atomic Energy Agency's board of governors has decided to hold an emergency conference on Feb. 2 to vote on the European motion that Iran's nuclear file be referred to the UN Security Council.

Source: Xinhua