(ANSA) - TEHRAN, 27 APR - Iran is interested in cooperating with the Czech Republic and Slovakia in the construction of new nuclear plants, Fars agency reported quoting the spokesperson of the Iranian Organisation for Atomic Energy (Aeoi), Behrouz Kamalvandi.

The head of Aeoi, Ali Akbar Salehi, will visit Prague and Bratislava next week to talk about proposals for new nuclear plants, Fars reported. "After so many years of not being able to make trips with such aims, we now intend to expand our cooperation with few European countries that have the nuclear technology," Kamalvandi said.

"Perhaps, there are only 20 countries that have access to nuclear knowledge, and some of them, such as Czech Republic and Slovakia, have been in the business for decades. That's why we want to cooperate with them," he added.

Last week, the Aeoi spokesperson had announced that Teheran was close to a deal with the European Union on nuclear cooperation for civil use. The announcement arrived following the visit to Teheran of the Head of EU diplomacy, Federica Mogherini, who was in Iran on April 16th accompanied by seven EU Commissioners with the aim of reactivating the cooperation with Iran three months after the entrance in vigour of the historic nuclear deal between Iran and the World leaders.

Last July, Iran had signed a deal with the representatives of the World powers in which it promised to renounce on the military part of its nuclear programme in exchange for the lifting of the financial sanctions imposed by the West - the sanctions were officially lifted on January 16th. (ANSA).