Russians 'absolutely, definitely' commit to 2008 Iran reactor startup
MOSCOW — Officials said Iran and Russia have agreed on a timetable for the
completion of the nuclear reactor at Bushehr.
Officials said Atomstroiexport was prepared to launch full operations of
the 1,000 megawatt reactor by October 2008.
"We have resolved all the problems with the Iranians," said Sergei
Shmatko, president of Russia's state-owned Atomstroiexport, the prime
contractor of Bushehr. "We have agreed with our Iranian colleagues a time
frame for completing the plant and we will make an announcement at the end
of December."
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"We absolutely, definitely intend to build the Bushehr atomic power
station and intend definitely to deliver the fuel to the plant," Shmatko
said.
"The first nuclear fuel shipment for the Bushehr atomic power plant arrived in Iran Monday," the Iranian news agency quoted Iranian Vice President Gholam Reza Aghazadeh as saying.
Shmatko said Iran and Russia could form a joint venture to operate the
$1 billion Bushehr reactor. He did not elaborate.
In November, the Interfax news agency reported, Putin decided to send
the first nuclear shipment to Bushehr. The Moscow-based agency did not say
whether the Russian president has set a date for the nuclear shipment.
