China welcomes progress achieved in Iran nuclear-fuel talks: FM

BEIJING, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- China said on Thursday it welcomed progress achieved in Iran nuclear-fuel talks and the gradual implementation of the consensus reached in Geneva talks this month.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu made the remarks in response to questions relating to China's stance over the draft agreement presented by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

IAEA director general Mohamed El Baradei proposed that enriched uranium with a higher purity needed for a research reactor in Iran would be produced abroad.

Representatives from Iran, the United States, Russia, France and the IAEA met in Vienna from Monday to Wednesday to discuss the nuclear-fuel supply for a research reactor in the Iranian capital of Tehran, Ma said.

"We noticed that some progress has been achieved in Iran nuclear-fuel talks and we welcome the gradual implementation of the consensus in Geneva meeting," Ma said.

China would continue its constructive role in solving the Iranian nuclear issue through dialogue and negotiation.

The four countries in the nuclear-fuel talks agreed to conduct a feasibility review of proposals advanced by El Baradei.

On Oct. 1, senior officials from the United States, Britain, Russia, France, Germany and China held talks with their Iranian counterparts in Geneva.

At the meeting, Iran agreed in principle to ship most of its existing low-grade enriched uranium to Russia and France, where it would be processed into fuel rods with a purity of 20 percent.