Iran blames Russians for N-plant delays - agency

TEHRAN, Sep 25 (Reuters) A senior Iranian nuclear official today blamed Russian contractors for delays in building Iran's first nuclear power plant, saying they lacked the required ''technical capabilities'', a news agency reported.

But hours later in Moscow, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, made clear that despite his grievances, nuclear cooperation with Moscow would continue and possibly expand.

The Bushehr power plant in southwest Iran was supposed to start up in early 2006 but has faced several delays. Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Russia's atomic energy agency, said this month that it was now likely to start up in September 2007.

''I believe the current contractor lacks the necessary technical capabilities,'' Aghazadeh was quoted by students news agency ISNA as saying shortly before leaving for Moscow.

''It was clear from the beginning that it (the contractor) was incapable, but we had to sign with the Russian contractor because we had no other alternative,'' he said, adding that construction could be completed in six months.

Russia and China are resisting US pressure to impose sanctions against Iran, suspected by the West of trying to obtain its own nuclear weapons. Tehran denies such plans, saying its nuclear programme is peaceful.

Washington has been pushing Russia to stop building the Bushehr plant because it fears Iran could use the atomic know-how to make nuclear weapons. Russia has refused to link the plant with the crisis over Iran's atomic ambitions.

However, earlier this month a high-ranking Russian source said Moscow would stop building the plant if Iran expelled UN inspectors, a step Iranian parliamentarians have threatened to take if the atomic standoff with the West escalates.

Critics say that the 1 billion dollar Bushehr project and Russia's hopes of taking part in tenders for several more similar power plants, has been a major incentive for Moscow to support Tehran.

''Relations between Russia and Iran are very important for us,'' Mr Aghazadeh told Kiriyenko at the start of their meeting in Moscow.

''We will focus on the completion of the Bushehr plant and also on cooperation in the nuclear power sector,'' he added.

Mr Aghazadeh made no comments after meeting Kiriyenko. But a spokesman for the Russian atomic agency told reporters that talks between officials of the two agencies and companies involved in constructing Bushehr would continue.

REUTERS BDP PM2139