The head of Russia's atomic nuclear agency Sergei Kiriyenko (right) and Gholamreza Aghazadeh, head of Iran 's nuclear energy program, speak to each other during a news conference in Bushehr, Iran, on February 26. (Xinhua/Reuters)

Russia and Iran have reached an agreement in principle on setting up a uranium enrichment joint venture, Iranian Vice President Gholamreza Aghazadeh said on Sunday, the Interfax news agency reported.

Aghazadeh, who is also the country's nuclear chief, told a press conference in Bushehr, Iran, that negotiations on the issue will continue.

Meanwhile, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said here on Sunday that Moscow will maintain "contacts" with Iran over the latter's nuclear plans ahead of a March 6 meeting of the board of governors of the UN's nuclear watchdog,

"Contacts on this subject will continue until the meeting of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on March 6 in Vienna," Lavrov told reporters.