Iran supports US-backed nuclear fuel bank idea

Astana: Iran has welcomed a proposal to set up a global nuclear fuel repository, part of a US-backed plan to put all uranium enrichment under strict international control.

President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in Kazakhstan on a visit, said on Monday that he supported a proposal to host the nuclear bank in Kazakhstan, which is accessible from Iran by sea.

"We think that (Kazakh President) Nursultan Nazarbayev's idea to host a nuclear fuel bank is a very good proposal," he said after talks with the Kazakh leader.

Iran's support for the idea comes as US President Barack Obama pushes for a "new beginning" in bilateral ties, and could play a role in mending bridges after decades of mistrust.