Jevgeniy Adamov, the newly appointed minister for atomic energy, told journalists on April 6 that Moscow wants to sign a new contract with Iran on constructing a nuclear reactor for research purposes, Interfax reported. According to Adamov, the reactor would use uranium with enrichment of 20 percent or less in compliance with IAEA requirements. The new possible Russian-Iranian project is to be launched on the background of on-going construction by Russians a nuclear power plant for Iran. The latter project has already caused outrage from both the United States and Israel, which fear Russian assistance could help Iran obtain nuclear weapons.

On another tack, Yuriy Orlov, director of Centre for Policy Studies in Russia based in Moscow, accused Iran of attempts to acquire Russian ballistic missile technology. At a press-conference held on April 13, Orlov, referring to the exclusive information provided to the Centre by the Russian Federal Security Service (FSB), stated that Iran committed several attempts to buy such a technology only during the year 1997.