IRANIAN NUCLEAR ENERGY CHIEF IN MOSCOW.

Russian Atomic Energy Minister Yevgeny Adamov said yesterday that talks in Moscow with the chairman of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, scheduled to begin today, will deal only with Russia’s current contract to build a nuclear power plant at the Bushehr site in Iran. Recent Western reports have alleged that Russia intends to show the Iranian nuclear chief gas centrifuge technology used to enrich uranium for weapons. They have also said that the meeting in Moscow will include talks on the possible construction by Russia of a nuclear research reactor in Iran. In his remarks to reporters yesterday, however, Adamov denied both of those reports. Regarding the research reactor, Adamov said that his ministry still had not received the required permission from the Russian government to discuss the project. (AP, May 8; Itar-Tass, May 11)

Moscow has come under fire from the United States and Israel for its decision to undertake construction of the Bushehr plant. It may, for the time being at least, want to quiet talk of additional nuclear projects with Iran. That has not stopped Moscow from expanding the scope of its work at Bushehr, however. Russia recently agreed to construct buildings at the facility that were originally to have been undertaken by Iran itself. It also has agreed to provide a turbine for the Bushehr plant. Ukraine was to have built the turbine but backed out of the deal under pressure from the United States.

… AS PRESSURE MOUNTS FOR SANCTIONS AGAINST GAZPROM.