China, Iran to sign contract on heavy water reactor

Beijing, April 20:  China and Iran will on Sunday sign the first commercial contract to redesign Tehran's Arak heavy water reactor in Vienna, a Foreign Ministry spokesman has said.

China and Iran have reached initial agreement on the commercial contract, Spokesman Lu Kang said at a daily news briefing on Thursday.

Redesigning the Arak heavy water reactor is a core aspect of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) on Iran's nuclear programme, Xinhua news agency reported. 

The JCPOA was reached in Vienna in July 2015 between Iran and the P5+1 group, namely Britain, China, France, Russia, the US and Germany.

The P5+1 countries have created a working group led by China and the US to work with Iran to redesign the reactor, said Lu.

The signing will create a favourable condition for the progress of the redesign. 

"China will do the follow-up work with all parties involved in accordance with the comprehensive nuclear deal and the consensus reached by all parties," Lu said.

The 7th Joint Commission between Iran and the P5+1 will convene in Vienna next week.