Tehran and the EU have come to an agreement on the main points of a deal, which presupposes the suspension of uranium enrichment by the Iranians on 22 November in exchange for economic incentives from the Europeans. This was announced yesterday by diplomatic sources. A long-term agreement now needs to be elaborated to presumably enshrine Iran's definitive abandonment of uranium enrichment.
Paris, London, and Berlin, which are conducting the negotiations with Tehran, would like to avoid a repeat of what happened a year ago when Iran went back on its word a few months after promising Europe that it would suspend uranium enrichment.
Moscow is keenly monitoring the development of the situation. Nezavisimaya Gazeta's sources at the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency did not share the European diplomats' optimism. "It all remains to be seen," our interlocutor said. The Federal Atomic Energy Agency says that it is impossible to assume how the Iranian-European deal, if it is nonetheless concluded, will affect Russia's position on the Iranian market. Virtually all Russian Federation interests in that country's nuclear power industry revolve around the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power station. And this project, even if the Europeans and Iranians really do reach agreement, is unlikely to suffer. Experts point out that Russia will in all probability supply Bushehr with fuel and complete the work there. Otherwise these selfsame Europeans may have difficulties: They would have to tie up their equipment, technology, and so on to someone else's project. Nevertheless experts do point out that the Iranian-European deal could result in an increase in competition on the Iranian market and Europeans' gaining a front-ranking position.

Source: Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Moscow
BBC Monitoring