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Russia vows no more delay in Bushehr plant launch

Russia says it has every intention to complete and launch the Bushehr nuclear reactor in southeastern Iran ‘without any further delay’.

In a joint Monday press conference with Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki, Russia’s Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said it is in the interest of both Tehran and Moscow to complete the Bushehr power plant as soon as possible.

He refrained from disclosing a specific date for the launch of the project, but said that initial tests at the plant were “quite satisfactory.”

With regards to Western criticism over Russia’s technical contributions in building the Bushehr plant, Shmatko said the project has become a “symbol of cooperation” between Iran and Russia.

“Nobody will ever dare to hurt that symbol,” he explained.

The comments come after some reports suggested that the Kremlin would again postpone the launch of Bushehr power plant, which is expected by the end of 2009.

Western corporations launched the construction of the Bushehr facility in the 1970’s. However, following the 1979 Islamic Revolution in Iran, the Western companies abandoned their commitments and pulled out of the project due to political pressure from Washington.

Iran was then turned to Russia to complete the project. In 1992, Tehran and Moscow signed a deal to finalize the construction of the nuclear power plant.

The Bushehr plant was originally scheduled to be completed in 1999, but its finalization has repeatedly been delayed. Moscow had earlier said that the plant would come online by year-end.

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