Eurasia Press & News
TEHRAN (Fars News Agency)- A delegation from Russia is due to visit Iran next week to continue talks about Bushehr atomic power plant, head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization (IAEO) Gholam Reza Aghazadeh said here on Sunday.
“The Russian company has recently announced that it is in need of more financial aids,” Aghazadeh told reporters, adding, “Although that has not been foreseen in our legal undertakings, we will try to help them increase their cash volume in case we can find a proper way to do so.”
Reminding that the launch of operation of Iran’s first atomic power plant in the southern province of Bushehr is of much significance, he said that the back-up systems and departments are now ready to start their operations.
“The industrial parts and the systems for the transfer of sea water to Bushehr power plant will start operation this week,” the nuclear official continued.
He further noted the frequent cases of delayed operation and fulfillment of undertakings by the Russian contractor, and expressed the hope that Russians would not politicize the issue under the present conditions when the UN Security Council is studying new resolutions against Iran’s nuclear activities.
Asked if Iran has made any extra payments for the construction and operation of Bushehr power plant, Aghazadeh said, “No, the issue is not paying any money beyond what has been agreed already.”
“The Russian company has experienced change of managers more than 8 times, and it seems that the financial resources provided by Iran have not been used in their proper or specific places and as a result they are now short of money,” he said.
The head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization also stressed that “Bushehr power plant is among the projects for which the Iranian side has paid all its dues even before the agreed dates,” meaning that we have never had any outstanding liabilities.
He said Russians are demanding Iran’s help, “and due to the fact that Bushehr is of grave importance to us, we have striven to assist them in this regard.”
Asked about the cut of aids to Iran by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Aghazadeh said, “We have three types of cooperation with the Agency, i.e. technical cooperation, such as those pertaining to the safety of Bushehr power plan which is of vital importance, regional cooperation, and general cooperation.”
“This has actually been the third type of cooperation, the general and scientific ones, which the IAEA Board of Governors has decided to halt,” he added. “As regards regional cooperation, the Board has voted for a case-by-case study.”
The official also mentioned that IAEA has technical cooperation with Iran in 40 different projects, all of which pertain to safety issues or launch of operation of systems and installations.
Meantime, he reminded that a large part of IAEA-Iran cooperation pertains to Bushehr power plant, and further voiced dissatisfaction with the decision of the IAEA and Board of Governors, saying that adoption of such decisions and measures would leave negative impacts on the two sides’ relations.
