File photo of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi [Xinhua]Chinese and Iranian firms will ink contracts for a nuclear plant’s redesign on Sunday in Vienna, a spokesperson for China’s Foreign Ministry said on Thursday.
“The signing of this contract will create good conditions for substantively starting the redesign project,” Lu Kang told a news briefing.
China hopes all parties could ensure the nuclear deal was implemented, appropriately handle disagreements and make positive contributions to nuclear non-proliferation and peace and stability in the Middle East, Lu added.
His comments came even as the Trump administration said on Tuesday it was launching an inter-agency review of whether the lifting of sanctions against Iran was in the United States’ national security interests.
Iran has maintained that none of its nuclear activity is geared to developing weapons.
“The contract to receive counselling on the redesign was negotiated and signed in Beijing on April 13,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a written statement to parliament.
The fate of the 40-megawatt Arak reactor was a key sticking point in nearly two years of negotiations that led to the nuclear agreement.
According to the agreement, the redesigned reactor will not produce weapon grade plutonium and will instead rebuilt in the form of an international partnership for “peaceful nuclear research” and “radioisotope production for medical and industrial purposes.”
TBP and Agencies
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