It's refreshing to see a little compromise in international affairs.

Last Sunday, Iran and Russia agreed to explore the possibility of joint uranium cultivation, which could relieve fears that Iran plans to cultivate uranium for nuclear weapons.

Small amounts of uranium enrichment can be used to develop nuclear energy sources and large amounts can be used to produce nuclear warheads.

Although Iran has signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and given international inspectors access to its facilities, many countries, including the United States, suspect Iran cannot be trusted to limit their uranium harvest to an energy program.

This tentative deal is a positive move because of two prominent characteristics: compromise and cooperation. Not only is Russia attempting to develop a working relationship with Iran and Iran is reciprocating the efforts, but the United States is also cooperating with Russia -- an important ally in the international community.

The agreement also benefits the U.S. because it does not have the bear the responsibility of working closely with Iran and monitoring the cultivation of its uranium.

And rather than resorting to force, which could easily escalate into a global conflict in which the U.S. would certainly become involved, Iranian officials are attempting to peacefully resolve their disagreements.

Any agreement between Iran and Russia may also head off economic and political sanctions by the United Nations Security Council, a body that has threatened to penalize Iran for any independent cultivation.

However, the deal between Iran and Russia is still pending, and Iran has refused to completely concede all independent enrichment on their home turf. If the Security Council takes any measures against Iran, the country's deputy nuclear chief Mohammad Saeedi warned the deal would be off. Plus, Russian nuclear chief Sergei Kiriyenko said Iran set a "precondition" in their talks Sunday, which he declined to specify.

Other specific details about the partnership have not been reached, such as Iranian access to the Russian facilities or the permanence of the Iranian facilities in Russia.

While there is still a lot of undisclosed information, this is a step in the right direction.