ＥＥＥ会議（Re:ロシアの対イラン原発輸出問題）.........................................................2003.8.27

ロシアの対イラン原発輸出が引き続き問題になっていますが、８月２５日付けの
Daily Russian Journalによれば、ロシア政府は、イランに輸出したロシア製原子炉
（ブシェール第２原発）で使用した核燃料はすべて返還させることを定めた露イラン
原子力協力協定案をこのほど承認したと報じております。関連記事は以下のとおり。

使用済み核燃料の全量引き取りは旧ソ連時代からの方式で、この方式が確実に実施さ
れれば、イランによる核転用の惧れは除去できるわけで、米国の懸念も解消するはず
ですが、米国は必ずしも、この方式だけでイランの核転用を防止できるとは考えてお
らず、だからこそ、ＩＡＥＡの厳格な査察を義務化した「追加議定書」の受託をイラ
ンに迫っているのでしょう。他方、ロシア側も、米国への配慮から、本件露イラン協
定が調印されても、それが直ちにブシェール原発輸出にリンクするものではないとの
立場をとっているようです。ロシア政府が、金儲け（原発輸出）と対米協力のどちら
を優先するか、引き続きウォッチする要ありと思います。　
--KK

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Government approves draft agreement with Iran on nuclear fuel

August 25, 2003 Posted: 11:21 Moscow time (07:21 GMT)


MOSCOW - The Russian Cabinet has approved a draft protocol that would
require Iran to return to Russia all spent nuclear fuel from a reactor it is
helping build in the Persian Gulf city of Bushehr, the Interfax news agency
reported Friday.

Russia, which faces criticism from the United States over its nuclear
cooperation with Iran, has said it will not ship any fuel for the Bushehr
reactor until an agreement stipulating that Russia must return spent fuel is
in place.

U.S. officials have said the agreement - aimed at ensuring that Iran would
not be able to get plutonium, which can be derived from reprocessing spent
fuel from reactors - would reduce Washington's concerns about Tehran's
nuclear ambitions.

Russian officials have been saying for months that they are close to signing
the agreement. Iran's ambassador to Russia said in early June that Iran was
ready to sign the agreement but that Russia needed to sort out internal
obstacles linked to its environmental protection legislation.

U.S. officials have worried for years that Russia's US$800 deal to build the
reactor could help Iran develop nuclear weapons. Russian officials have said
the fears are unfounded, but have showed signs recently that they may be
becoming more cooperative with the United States on the issue.

President Vladimir Putin said at a June 1 summit with U.S. President George
W. Bush that the Russian and U.S. positions on nuclear proliferation threats
are "much closer than they seem," and a senior U.S. official said last month
that Putin told Bush Russia would not provide fuel for the Iranian reactor
until Russian officials were certain Iran was not developing nuclear
weapons.

However, while Russia has urged Iran to sign a document allowing closer
inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency in order to ease
concerns that may be seeking to develop nuclear weapons, it has not linked
Iran's signing of the document to completion of the Bushehr plant.

ＰＳ：
ちなみに、現在ベトナムへの原子炉輸出でも、各国が激しい商戦を展開中ですが、も
し日本が本当に対越輸出を成功させようと思えば、ベトナムの使用済み燃料を全量引
き取る覚悟が必要になるでしょう（引き取った後、六ヶ所村で再処理するか、日本国
内のどこかで貯蔵するのかも問題）。　あるいは、小生の「アジアトム」構想による
地域貯蔵所（regional fuel cycle center)での保管（貯蔵）を考えるか、今から真
剣に検討しておくべきでしょう。こういった点までしっかり詰めておかないと、いか
に原子炉メーカーが頑張っても、米国政府の同意は得られず、日本の対越原発輸出の
成功の可能性はないと思います。右ご参考まで。　--KK