Scientific center at Iran’s Fordow facility to be built in 2 years

A scientific nuclear center for the production of stable isotopes at the Fordow facility in Iran will be built in two years, Tass quoted Vladimir Voronkov, Russia’s Permanent Representative at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), as saying on Friday.

"The timeframe has been envisaged by a work plan. It’s going to take about two years according to the current assessments," Voronkov said after the Vienna meeting of a joint commission comprising Iran and the "P1+5 " states (five permanent members of the UN Security Council plus Germany).

Voronkov, who is heading the Russian delegation to the meeting, said that questions related to the implementation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) were also part of agenda. "Russia jointly with Iran made a presentation in the spirit of transparency on the production of stable isotopes at the Fordow facility in Iran. The post-sanctions program was also actively discussed," the Russian diplomat added.

He said that the next meeting would take place in the next three months in strict compliance with the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Iran and the group of six powers (also known as the P1+5 group) reached the final agreement in July last year under which the Fordow fuel enrichment plant should be converted to a nuclear, physical and technological center with no more than 1,044 first generation centrifuges, which would no longer produce any uranium. Iran will be able to use just 348 centrifuges for the production of stable isotopes in the next 15 years.

Source: MENA