Brazil said on Wednesday it got a go-ahead from the UN nuclear watchdog to crank up its uranium enrichment plant this year after months of negotiations over access for nonproliferation inspectors. Science and Technology Minister Eduardo Campos told a news conference a group of technicians from the International Atomic Energy Agency visited the Resende plant Nov. 16 to Nov. 18 to verify the information provided by Brazil about the design of the plant. "The visit was considered completely successful by both sides," said a statement Campos read. "It means that from the point of view of international safeguards, the plant can start working ... with UF6 uranium gas that will be enriched," he said.
Washington had pressured Brazil to given IAEA inspectors greater access to the Resende installation, worried Brazil's initial reluctance might embolden countries like Iran to close off their atomic programs to international inspections. |