Head of the Russian Atomic Energy Agency Sergei Kiriyenko will visit Iran on Thursday in a further attempt to persuade Iran on Russia's proposal over a joint uranium enrichment venture, Iran's official IRNA news agency reported on Tuesday.

Kiriyenko was quoted as saying in Moscow that the talks between the two countries on Tehran's nuclear program would be resumed in Tehran as of Thursday and continue "as long as required."

"Russia will do its best to help Iran deal with the current conditions through peaceful means," Kiriyenko said.

IRNA said that during his three-day visit, Kiriyenko was scheduled to meet his Iranian counterpart Gholam-Reza Aqazadeh and to visit the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Iran's first nuclear power plant being constructed with Russia's aid in the south of the country.

Kirienko was originally scheduled to visit Iran on March 1 and there is no official explanation for the advancing.

An Iranian nuclear negotiating team on Tuesday wrapped up two- day-long negotiations with Russian officials in Moscow, during which the two sides discussed Russia's proposal that the two countries establish a joint venture in Russia to enrichment uranium for Iran.

Russia, offering the plan late last December, believes that the suggestion could defuse the escalating tension over the Iranian nuclear issue by securing the Islamic Republic's legal rights while dispersing the international concerns over the country's nuclear program.

Seyed Ali Hosseini-Tash, Deputy Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council who headed the delegation to Moscow, said soon after the conclusion of Tuesday's talks that the two sides had reached a rudimental agreement on principles of a common formula after positive and constructive negotiations.

Kiriyenko also termed the bilateral talks in Moscow as positive, adding "Russia respects Iran's right to use nuclear technology for peaceful purposes and on the other hand underlines that the Non- Proliferation Treaty (NPT) should be guaranteed."

The Moscow talks were viewed as the last chance for the concerned parties to cool down the rising tension over the Iranian nuclear issue ahead of a key meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

The IAEA's board of governors on Feb. 4 adopted a resolution to report Iran's nuclear case to the UN Security Council, but it also urged the Security Council not to take actions on Iran before its meeting on March 6, referring to economic sanctions in case that Iran remains tough.

In a tough response to the IAEA decision, Iran has resumed small-scale uranium enrichment work and barred the UN nuclear watchdog's snap inspections required by the additional protocol of the NPT.

Source: Xinhua