Russia fixes startup date for Iranian nuke plant

Moscow, Sep 26: Russia and Iran signed an agreement today that fixes the startup date of Iran's first nuclear power station, with Moscow resisting pressure from Tehran to speed up work on the long-delayed plant.

Russia's Atomic Energy Chief Sergei Kiriyenko held talks in Moscow with Gholamreza Aghazadeh, the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, to discuss the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which Russia is building in southwest Iran.

Kiriyenko told Reuters this month the reactor would start up in September 2007, with power sent to the grid in November 2007.

Nuclear fuel would be delivered in March 2007.

Sergei Shmatko, the head of Russia's Atomstroyexport, which is building the Bushehr plant, told reporters an additional agreement had been signed putting those dates in writing.

''After negotiations today we signed an additional agreement to contract on building the Bushehr atomic power plant which sets the physical launch in September 2007 and the energy launch in November 2007,'' Shmatko said.

''The delivery of nuclear fuel should take place no later than six months to the physical launch, so no later than March 2007,'' he said.

Shortly before leaving for Moscow yesterday, Aghazadeh expressed his frustration about delays in the Bushehr project. Student news agency ISNA quoted him as saying that construction could be completed in six months.

''I believe the current contractor lacks the necessary technical capabilities,'' the agency quoted Agghazadeh as saying.

The United States and major European countries suspect Tehran of trying to develop its own nuclear weapons. Tehran denies such plans, saying its nuclear programme is purely peaceful.

Russia has repeatedly postponed the opening date for the plant, citing technical difficulties caused by the need to build it on the foundations of a differently designed station started before the 1979 Iranian revolution.

Washington has been pushing Russia to stop building the Bushehr plant because it fears Iran could use the atomic knowhow to make nuclear weapons.

Russia has refused to link the plant with the crisis over Iran's atomic ambitions and says it has no interest in Iran getting nuclear weapons.

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