Russia's atomic chief to visit Iran on Dec 11

MOSCOW, Dec 9 (Reuters) Russia's Atomic Energy Agency Chief Sergei Kiriyenko will visit Tehran for a trade meeting on Monday, a Russian spokesman said today.

Kiriyenko has said he will be discussing the construction of the Bushehr nuclear reactor that Russia is building in southwest Iran, but that the reactor is not the main focus of his visit.

The United States has been pushing Russia to stop building the Bushehr plant because it suspects Iran will use the atomic know-how to make nuclear weapons.

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

In September, Moscow announced nuclear fuel will be delivered to the reactor in March 2007, the reactor would start up in September and that electricity generated from it will be sent to a power grid in November.

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