http://en.rian.ru/business/20091205/157116194.html
Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant progressing well - Russian minister
The final stage of construction of Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant is moving
forward at a good pace, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin was told on Saturday.
Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko briefed the prime minister on his recent visit
to Iran, where he visited the Bushehr facility and participated in a meeting of
the Russian-Iranian intergovernmental commission on trade and economic
cooperation.
Shmatko toured the reactor site earlier this week with Ali Akbar Salehi, the
new head of the country's Atomic Energy Organization. Following his inspection,
the Russian energy minister said he expected the plant to be ready soon.
The launch date has been postponed many times over financial and technical
problems, and electricity generation is now expected to begin in the first
quarter of 2010. Iranian officials have claimed that Russia has been reluctant
to finish the facility due to UN sanctions and suspicions of a covert nuclear
weapons program.
During the meeting with Putin, Shmatko discussed the approaches of the Russian
delegation at the forthcoming meeting in Qatar of the Gas Exporting Countries
Forum.
As the world's largest gas producer, Russia is a key player in the 11-nation
body, which is expected to choose its first secretary general at Wednesday's
gathering.
MOSCOW, December 5 (RIA Novosti)
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