Russian President Vladimir Putin met Iran's nuclear negotiator yesterday after Iran's foreign minister indicated Tehran might consider a proposal to enrich uranium in Russia.
Putin began talks with Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, in his country residence, Russian news agencies reported.
"The situation concerning Iran's nuclear programme, bilateral relations, international and regional problems are the focus of discussion," Interfax news agency quoted a Kremlin source as saying.
Interfax said Russia's Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov and Security Council secretary Igor Ivanov were also taking part in the meeting. Interfax said Larijani's discussion with Ivanov earlier yesterday lasted about five hours.
The United Nations Security Council is trying to reach agreement on sanctions against Iran after it failed to halt uranium enrichment as demanded in a July council resolution.
Western nations accuse Iran of trying secretly to build an atomic arsenal, but Iran says it has the right to enrich uranium and wants only to generate electricity.
Russia, one of Iran's main trading partners, wants parts of a European draft sanctions text deleted while the United States wants stronger language inserted. Negotiations are likely to continue for some time.
Russia had proposed building a joint nuclear enrichment facility on its soil to enrich Iran's uranium to the level used in power stations, which is lower than is needed to make bombs.
"Iran seeks to preserve its rights to nuclear technology on its soil, but that does not contradict joint work with others in other areas," Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki told a news conference.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said on Friday Iran's enemies could not do a "damn thing" to stop its nuclear activities.
Iran ended snap inspections of its nuclear facilities in February after its case was referred to the UN Security Council. It has threatened to curtail all inspections by the UN's nuclear watchdog, the IAEA, if sanctions are imposed.