Tehran calls for swift completion of Russia-Iran nuclear plant

Dec 11, 2006, 14:19 GMT

Tehran - The head of Russia's nuclear energy agency heard renewed calls in Tehran on Monday for the swift completion of the joint Russian-Iranian nuclear power plant project at Bushehr, southern Iran.

'We consider the completion of Bushehr as symbolic for bilateral ties,' Iranian Foreign Minister Manuchehr Mottaki said during a joint press conference with Rosatom chief Sergei Kiriyenko.

The first phase of the 800-million-dollar project in the Persian Gulf port of Bushehr was to have been completed by Russia in 1999, but has been subject to numerous delays. Latest agreements between the two sides schedule the plant's opening for September 2007.

Mottaki also referred to Moscow's offer to enrich uranium on Russian soil for Iranian energy purposes, made in a bid to resolve the international row over Iran's nuclear ambitions, and said 'the initiative was still under evaluation by Tehran.''

Kiriyenko said at the same conference though an interpreter that Russia also preferred a diplomatic solution to the dispute over Iran's controversial nuclear programme.

'The right to pursue civil nuclear technology goes however along with the issue of non-proliferation,' the Russian official said.

He added that Russia would be ready to cooperate with Iran on uranium enrichment in Russia.

Kiriyenko was to meet later Monday with Vice-President Gholam-Reza Aqazadeh, who is also head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization. The timely completion of the Bushehr plant is expected to top the agenda of the talks.