Iran team to visit Russia over atomic plant delay

TEHRAN, Feb 22 (Reuters) An Iranian delegation will travel to Russia in the next ten days to discuss ways to resolve a dispute over payments that is delaying construction of Iran's first nuclear power plant, the official IRNA news agency said.

Russian nuclear officials said on Tuesday that Tehran had missed several payments worth a total of more than million for the construction of the Bushehr reactor in southwest Iran. Tehran says its payments are up to date.

''During the visit in the next ten days, we will try to come up with some solutions for their financial problems,'' Mohammad Saeedi, the deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, was quoted as saying.

Saeedi repeated Iran's position that payments were up to date, but said Tehran would help the firm which is building the plant to meet its financial needs.

''For the transfer of the constructed facilities to Iran as soon as possible, we will help by paying for some of the expenses,'' Saeedi said.

Last September, Moscow signed a protocol with Iran which set out a timetable for the launch of Bushehr and obliged Iran to pay Russia 25 million dollar a month for the plant.

Russia has repeatedly delayed building work at Bushehr, a highly sensitive issue as Tehran has come under pressure from the United States and the European Union over its nuclear goals.

The dispute will delay, perhaps by a year, any delivery of nuclear fuel to Iran, Russian officials and experts had said.

Low-enriched uranium rods for a reactor core were scheduled to be shipped next month.

Russian officials have said the situation was also complicated by Iranian attempts to pay in euros instead of US dollars and by United Nations sanctions which had hindered equipment deliveries.

Iran is at loggerheads with the United States over its atomic ambitions, which Washington says is aimed at developing atomic weapons. Tehran insists its plans are peaceful.

REUTERS BDP PM1754