Iran and Russia have delayed the signing of an agreement
meant to ensure the completion of the Bushehr nuclear reactor.
Iranian officials said the agreement – meant to have been signed on
Saturday in Teheran – was delayed by a series of last-minute disputes. They
said the two countries couldn't agree on such issues as the launch of
Bushehr as well as a timetable for the delivery and return of nuclear fuel.
The United States has determined that Bushehr could be used for the
production of plutonium meant for Iran's nuclear weapons program.
Despite the delay, both Iran and Russia played down their differences
and said the accord would be signed on Sunday, Middle East Newsline reported. They said the agreement would
be signed during a tour of Bushehr by visiting Russian Federal Atomic Energy
Agency director Alexander Rumyantsev.
"The deal includes three documents with two of them relating to the
protocol and financial issues," Iranian Atomic Energy Organization deputy
director Mohammad Saidi said. "They will be signed Sunday when Russian top
nuclear official Alexander Rumyantsev inspects the Bushehr power plant."
Officials said the Russian delegation headed by Rumyantsev negotiated
through late Saturday to resolve differences with Iran. They said a key
dispute concerned the timetable for the return to Moscow of spent nuclear
fuel used in Bushehr. The difference in timetable between the two sides was
said to have been no more than two months.
"The Russians should show some flexibility," Saidi said.
Last week, Iran and Russia said they had agreed on all issues required
for the completion of Bushehr. They said this included the storage and
delivery of nuclear fuel to Iran as well as financial arrangements.
Saidi said Iran and Russia presented different timetables for the launch
of Bushehr. He said two groups of Iranian and Russian experts were seeking
to bridge this and other gaps.
"The Russians proposing bringing the Bushehr power station on line in
June 2006," Saidi said on Saturday. "We rejected this proposal. Discussions
will need to continue in Bushehr tomorrow for us to reach agreement."
For his part, Rumyantsev expressed optimism that an agreement would be
signed during his visit. His visit to Teheran had been delayed for nearly a
year amid a dispute between Moscow and Teheran over the return of spent
nuclear fueld.
"There is no discord between the Russian and Iranian sides over the
draft document," Rumyantsev was quoted as telling the Moscow-based Itar-Tass
news agency. "I expect to sign the document tomorrow [Sunday], at the
[Bushehr] power station."
The $1 billion Bushehr project has been delayed for more than three
years amid disputes between Moscow and Teheran regarding technical and
financial issues. Iranian officials said Russia must deliver the first batch
of nuclear fuel by June 2005 for Bushehr to launch operations in early 2006.
Iran's
nuclear program was expected to be the focus of a Feb. 28 meeting by the
board of governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency.