The United States is initiating talks with Russia aimed at reaching an agreement on civilian nuclear energy cooperation, the White House said yesterday.
"Such an agreement would benefit both the United States and Russia and indeed the world by enabling advances in and greater use of nuclear energy," said White House spokesman Peter Watkins.
Earlier yesterday, the Washington Postreported President George W. Bush will allow extensive US civilian nuclear cooperation with Russia in a reversal of decades of bipartisan policy. The Postsaid the move could be worth billions of dollars to Russia but possibly stir an uproar in the US Congress.
The White House provided no specifics about the scope of cooperation being considered in the talks.
Bush has resisted such extensive nuclear cooperation for years, insisting Russia first stop building a nuclear power station for Iran, the Postreported.
But US officials have changed their view of Russia's collaboration with Iran and have concluded Putin has become a more constructive partner in trying to pressure Iran to give up any move for nuclear weapons, the paper said.
The Postadded the deal could be used as an incentive to gain more Russian cooperation on Iran.
"Our policy on assistance to Iran's nuclear program has not changed," Watkins said. "We've made clear to Russia that for agreement on peaceful cooperation to go forward we will need Russia's active cooperation in blocking Iran's attempts to obtain nuclear weapons."
Watkins added that recognition of the need to prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons was acknowledged in an incentives package offered to Iran by six powers - the United States, Russia, Britain, France, China and Germany.