Iran 'is seeking N Korea's nuclear expertise'*

By Con Coughlin
Last Updated: 2:20am BST 17/04/2007

Iran and North Korea have appointed high-level delegations to deepen
co-operation between the two countries on nuclear weapons technology,
according to diplomatic sources in Beijing.

The countries are keen to seal a deal before North Korea starts to close
its controversial Yongbyon reactor under the terms of an agreement with
the United States and regional powers in February.

Yongbyon reactor, Iran 'is seeking N Korea nuclear expertise

N. Korea's Yongbyon reactor

The Feb 13 accord was negotiated after North Korea conducted a
successful test of a nuclear warhead at the end of last year. Following
the international outcry that greeted the test, Pyongyang agreed to
close the reactor in return for aid.

But the North Koreans missed the weekend's deadline to start shutting
down the reactor, claiming that the United States was refusing to
release £15 million of North Korean funds frozen in bank accounts in Macau.

The US state department has demanded that North Korea should
"immediately" invite the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to
begin sealing the facility.

South Korea said yesterday that it was considering delaying rice aid to
North Korea because of Pyongyang's failure to comply with the agreement.

Iran has taken advantage of the delay to intensify attempts to negotiate
a deal that would give Teheran access to the nuclear expertise North
Korea acquired during last year's atom bomb test.

Iranian scientists have already been invited to Pyongyang to study data
collected from the test. Beijing-based diplomats responsible for
monitoring North Korea say that Iran is now keen to negotiate a deal
that would deepen the level of nuclear co-operation.

Although, under the terms of the February agreement, North Korea has
agreed to shut the Yongbyon reactor - which provided the fissile
material for the nuclear test - the agreement puts no limits on North
Korea to export the expertise it acquired from the test.

"As the agreement currently stands, there are no restrictions on the
proliferation of nuclear technology North Korea acquired last year,"
said a well-placed diplomat. "Iran is desperate to take advantage of
this loophole to buy Pyongyang's expertise on building nuclear weapons."

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Iran 'is seeking N Korea nuclear expertise

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad gives a speech during a visit to Iran's
Natanz uranium enrichment facility

Despite Teheran's insistence that its nuclear programme is aimed at
meeting the country's future energy needs, Iran has already admitted to
buying the blueprint for Pakistan's nuclear bomb from Dr A Q Khan, the
"father" of that country's atom bomb. Nuclear experts believe that Iran
is now seeking to acquire North Korea's expertise to assist its own
clandestine programme to develop a nuclear weapons arsenal.

The Iranian delegation handling the negotiations with North Korea report
directly to Reza Aghazadeh, the country's vice president and the head of
the Atomic Energy Organisation of Iran, who has overall responsibility
for the controversial programme.

Senior officials from Aerospace Industries Organisation of Iran, which
is responsible for the development of a ballistic missile programme,
have also attended the talks.

Iran's Shahab-3 missile is based on North Korea's Nodong ballistic
missiles and Teheran is also keen to maintain the existing co-operation
between the two countries on the development of long-range missiles.

Meetings between the two delegations have taken place at the Chinese
border city of Shenyang, because the Iranians are keen not to draw
attention to their increased co-operation with Pyongyang.