Russia to host Iranian nuclear energy delegation

Moscow, Aug 22: Russia will host a high ranking delegation of Iranian atomic energy officials this week as calls grow in the West for Tehran to be punished if it refuses to give up its nuclear ambitions, Russian news agencies said today.

Itar-Tass said the delegation, including the deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Mahmoud Jannatian, will arrive in Russia later today to visit the Kalinin nuclear power station around 300 km northwest of Moscow.

Russia is building a 1,000 megawatt nuclear power plant in the southern Iranian port of Bushehr. The 1 billion dollar project is due to be completed in late 2007 and Russia expects to bid for several similar projects planned by Iran.

''The Iranian delegation plans to hold talks with our company on the pace of the construction and on preparations for its startup,'' Tass quoted a spokesman for state company Atomstroiexport as saying.

The visit is expected to last until Saturday.

Interfax news agency quoted another Russian state concern, Rosenergoatom, as saying that talks will also cover training personnel for Bushehr at the Kalinin power plant.

The five permanent UN Security Council members -- the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France -- and Germany have offered a package of incentives for Tehran to suspend nuclear research and enrichment of plutonium, needed to make a bomb.

The council has adopted a resolution giving Iran until August 31 to accept the deal or face possible sanctions.

Russia has so far opposed any sanctions against Iran, saying they would only stoke further defiance by Tehran. However, Russia has supported the UN resolution.

Russia also says its contract to build the Bushehr plant has nothing to do with the standoff over Iran's nuclear project.

Tass quoted officials from the state agency Rosatom as saying the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, was expected to visit Russia later this month.

Reuters

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