Tuesday, February 21 2006 14:19 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Moscow: Iranian and Russian negotiators today (Feb 21 2006) began their second round of talks to discuss Moscow's proposal to conduct uranium enrichment for Tehran in a bid to defuse the international crisis over Iran's nuclear ambitions.

Experts from the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency have been invited to join the parleys, Foreign Ministry sources said.

The Iranian delegation led by deputy chief of Supreme National Security Council Seyed Ali Hosseni-Tash had five-hour long talks yesterday with his Russian counterpart Valentin Sobolev and Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Kislya.

The Russian Joint Venture offer conditional to the restoration of moratorium on uranium enrichment by Iran is seen as Tehran's last chance to avert full-fledged referral of its nuclear dossier to the UN Security Council and international sanctions which could follow.

"It is premature to talk of any results yet. The talks are going on. We hope their results will create prerequisites for keeping the situation within the IAEA framework," Lavrov told sources after yesterday's negotiations.

He underscored that Iran would have to re-impose its moratorium on uranium enrichment activities and resume contact with all concerned parties to reach mutually acceptable agreement.

However, a top Iran expert Safar Rajabov told sources that "Tehran will never accept Russian JV offer if it is to be linked with total ban on uranium enrichment on the Iranian soil."

Lavrov also said that the forthcoming meeting of Board of Governors of IAEA in Vienna early next month would become a 'significant stage.'