Eurasia Press & News
Iran on Monday postponed inauguration of the back up systems of its nuclear power plant in Bushehr to an unspecified future date. The systems, which include a pumping center and a 400-kilowat power post, were due to be inaugurated in Bushehr today in the presence of the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO), Gholam Reza Aghazadeh.
Meantime, officials of the Russian contractor Atomstroiexport are due to arrive here in Tehran next week to continue talks about financial problems between the two sides.
Earlier, deputy head of IAEO Mohammad Sa’eedi announced that there were no financial, legal or technical obstacles to delivering nuclear fuel to Iran.
“We hope the Russian government delivers the fuel for the plant to Iran by the end of March 2007,” he added.
Sa’eedi met Atomstroiexport executives earlier this week in Moscow in an effort to resolve what Moscow has called a financial dispute over construction of the much-delayed Bushehr station in southern Iran.
He denied reports that the Moscow meeting had failed after the talks ended without agreement. New negotiations are due to take place next week in Tehran.
“Our discussions will continue in Tehran and we will offer suggestions,” Sa’eedi said.
Under a Tehran-Moscow deal reached last September, Russia was to deliver nuclear fuel to Iran in March, the power station would begin working in September and it would start producing energy in November.
Sa’eedi also mentioned that all the needed grounds have been paved for the dispatch of nuclear fuel to Bushehr, warning that in case the delivery does not take place, the contract is violated both technically and legally.
