Iran, Russia hold talks on nuclear cooperation: Rosatom

Iran and Russia have held a new round of consultations on bilateral cooperation in the area of nuclear energy in the Iranian capital, Tehran, the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom says.

Rosatom’s Communications Department announced on Thursday that Nikolaï Spasski, the deputy director general for international affairs at Rosatom, met with Spokesman for the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Behrouz Kamalvandi in Tehran on October 15, Ria Novosti reported.

“The parties discussed the current state as well as the prospects of nuclear cooperation between the two countries,” Rosatom added.

Last month, Kamalvandi said Tehran and Moscow were “close to reaching final agreements on the construction of two power plants” in Iran’s southern province of Bushehr before the end of the current Persian calendar year (20 March 2015).

In September 2013, Iran officially took over from Russia the first unit of its first 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plant in Bushehr for two years.

The initial construction of the Bushehr facility began in 1975 by German companies, but the work was halted following the 1979 Islamic Revolution.

After signing a deal on the construction of nuclear plants in 1992, Iran and Russia reached an agreement in 1995 to complete the Bushehr plant.

Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian said on September 14 that Russia plans to build eight power plants in three Iranian cities.

Four plants will be built in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, two in the eastern city of Tabas, and two in the northwestern city of Sahand, according to the Iranian minister.

On September 9, Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novak said in Tehran that Iran and Russia had signed projects worth 70 billion euros to develop trade and economic ties.