Monday 12 September 2011

Russia vows to continue nuclear co-operation with Iran

On Sunday 11th September, during a joint press conference in Tehran with Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi, Russia's Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko said that Moscow will definitely continue its nuclear co-operation with Iran.

The conference followed the ninth meeting of Iran-Russia joint economic commission, chaired by the two ministers. Shmatko arrived in Iran to attend the inauguration ceremony of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, scheduled to be held in the southern port city of Bushehr today.

Speaking at the press conference, Shmatko said: “I would like to express with certainty that we will have more co-operation with Iran on the Bushehr nuclear power plant and other projects to develop nuclear energy…The inauguration ceremony of the Bushehr power plant will be held tomorrow, and this project, which was an unprecedented one, will be completed tomorrow (on Monday).”

He added: “I assure you we will continue our cooperation with Iran on launching Bushehr power plant and developing atomic energy in Iran's other projects."

The inauguration of the plant is expected to make way for further co-operation between the two countries. Shmatko remarked: “We are completely satisfied with the negotiations and emphasise that Russia is keen to cooperate with Iran” in implementing gas and oil projects.

For his part, Salehi said that Bushehr plant is a symbol of co-operation between Tehran and Moscow and thanked Russia for its efforts to complete the project. During the meeting of Iran-Russia joint economic commission, the two sides penned a number of co-operation agreements on expansion of bilateral relations in various sectors.

Sources: Tehran Times, ISNA, AFP

For more news and expert analysis about Iran, please see Iran Strategic Focus.

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