The proposal is aimed at allaying international fears that Iran may be seeking to develop nuclear weapons.
The meeting of Iranian and Russian officials had originally been scheduled for 16 February. On 14 February, Iran confirmed it had restarted uranium enrichment activities.
Speaking to European Union lawmakers in Strasbourg, France on 15 February, EU Justice Commissioner Franco Frattini urged Tehran to accept the Russian plan.
"If Iran returns to a suspension of its enrichment activities and accepts the Russian proposal, the [UN] Security Council track may not prove necessary," Frattini said.
The UN nuclear watchdog agency, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), reported Iran to the Security Council on 4 February because of Tehran's failure to address international concerns about its nuclear program.
The Security Council is expected to consider taking steps against the country after the IAEA issues another report on Iran on 6 March.
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov has reiterated Moscow's opposition to possible UN sanctions against Iran, saying on 15 February that he does not believe they would achieve anything.
(Interfax, Reuters, AP)
IAEA Final Resolution
READ
On 4 February, the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency approved in a 27-3 vote a resolution to report the matter of Iran's nuclear program to the United Nations Security Council. The key section of the resolution is Section 1, which states that the Board of Governors:Underlines that outstanding questions can best be resolved and confidence built in the exclusively peaceful nature of Iran's program by Iran responding positively to the calls for confidence-building measures which the Board has made on Iran, and in this context deems it necessary for Iran to:
- reestablish full and sustained suspension of all enrichment-related and processing activities, including research and development, to be verified by the Agency;
- reconsider the construction of a research reactor moderated by heavy water;
- ratify promptly and implement in full Additional Protocol;
- pending ratification, continue to act in accordance with the provisions of the Additional Protocol with Iran signed on 18 December 2003;
- implement the transparency measures, as requested by the Director General, which extend beyond the former requirements of the Safeguards Agreement and Additional Protocol, and include such access to individuals, documentation relating to procurement, dual use equipment, certain military-owned workshops and research and development as the Agency may request in support of its ongoing investigations.
COMPLETE TEXT: To read the final resolution, with late-hour changes highlighted, click here.
THE COMPLETE PICTURE: RFE/RL's complete coverage of controversy surrounding Iran's nuclear program.