Iran says Russia plan may be way out of atomic row

ATHENS, May 9 (Reuters) Iran's chief nuclear negotiator today said a proposal to allow Tehran to enrich uranium on Russian soil remained a possible way out of the row over its nuclear programme, but needed more time.

Ali Larijani was speaking to reporters in Athens after foreign ministers of major powers failed at talks in New York yesterday evening to come up with a strategy for dealing with Iran, which the West suspects of trying to develop nuclear weapons.

Iran says it is seeking only civil nuclear power.

''As far as the Russian plan is concerned ... our position is that it can go ahead but they have to give us more time to get a positive result with the Russians,'' Larijani said.

''They (the international community) were too hasty, they didn't allow an agreement,'' he said, referring to a decision to report Iran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear plans.

Speaking through a Greek interpreter after a meeting with Greek Foreign Minister Dora Bakoyanni, Larijani said there was still time to resort to the Russian plan.

''It's not too late to put the Iranian nuclear file in the right direction,'' he said.

Iran has repeatedly voiced interest in a Moscow offer to enrich uranium for the Iranian programme on Russian soil, to meet Western concerns about the possible diversion of fuel for weapons.

But all previous negotiations on the plan have broken down because Tehran insisted nuclear fuel production should also take place on its own territory.

REUTERS OM PM1526