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Russia will complete Iran's nuke plant, help build six more

SPECIAL TO WORLD TRIBUNE.COM
Tuesday, December 24, 2002

NICOSIA Ñ Russia has pledged to reject U.S. concerns and not only complete a nuclear power plant for Iran but also help build six additional reactors.

Russian Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev delivered the message during his current visit to Teheran. Rumyantsev is expected to sign an agreement to expand nuclear cooperation with Teheran.

The Russian minister is also expected to discuss Iranian plans for the construction of up to six additional nuclear reactors, Middle East Newsline reported.. Rumyantsev said his ministry wants to play a major role in helping Iran achieve its plans to increase its nuclear capacity six-fold.

The United States has pressed Russia to suspend its project to construct a nuclear reactor in Bushehr until Teheran agrees to an intrusive inspections regime and the shipment of all nuclear fuel to Russia. The Bushehr project, estimated at between $800 million and $1 billion, has reached a critical stage as the core for the nuclear reactor is being prepared.

"Although Russia and Iran are criticized by certain countries for construction of an atomic power plant, we consider ourselves duty bound to finish the project on the power plant which is considered as Iran's undeniable right," Rumyantsev said. "That is the official stance of senior Russian officials and we will not give in to pretexts and ballyhoos created by other countries with regard to the peaceful cooperation."

Iran has agreed to sign an accord for the shipment of all nuclear fuel to Russia. But Iran has resisted Russia's appeal to agree to a new instrusive inspection regimen drafted by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

During his visit, Rumyantsev plans to tour the Bushehr facility. Russian officials have asserted that the nuclear reactor could be operational in 2005 but Rumyantsev said the first energy unit could be activated in less than another year.

"In our opinion, time has come to agree on the final deadline for delivering nuclear fuel to the nuclear power station and for launching the first energy unit in late 2003 with the Iranian side," the minister said.

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