Iran demands Russia finish work on Bushehr reactor
Tehran says it expects Moscow 'to honor its commitments,' complete construction on nuclear plant by March 2009
"Iran expects Russia to honor its commitments and complete the construction of the nuclear reactor in Bushehr in accordance with the agreed-upon schedule," Iranian Atomic Energy Organization deputy chief Ahmad Fayaz-Bakhsh said on Saturday.
The schedule in question however planned to see the Bushehr reactor up and running by autumn in 2008.
Russia is expected to deliver an additional 1,000 tons of equipment necessary to finish the construction job in four month's time.
"If Moscow upholds its obligations according to the timetable we agreed on, and there are no technical difficulties, then the work on the nuclear reactor in Bushehr will be over by the end of the Iranian year (March 20th 2009)," said Fayaz-Bakhsh.
The contentious matter of Moscow's involvement in Iran's nuclear program was discussed extensively during Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's recent visit to Russia.
The 1,000 megawatt Bushehr reactor was built in collaboration with Russia as per the deal signed in 1995. According to the original timetable set by the two countries, it should have been completed by the
year 2000.
In an address to the Tehran parliament on October 7th, Iran's Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki pledged that Bushehr would be operational by mid-2009.
Russia's ambassador to Tehran, Alexander Sadovnikov, said last week that relations between the two had never been better. "The cooperation between the two countries is good and growing in various fields like economy and industry, and this includes among other things the building of the Bushehr nuclear reactor," said Sadovnikov.
