Russia stresses nuclear pledges to Iran

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov (L) with his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari at a Press Conference in Baghdad on May 10, 2011

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/179348.html

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov says his country will remain committed to all its commitments towards Iran's nuclear program.

Moscow will abide by all its [nuclear] commitments and agreements with Iran, within the framework of International law, Lavrov said at a press conference with his Iraqi counterpart in the Iraqi capital city of Baghdad on Tuesday.

The Russian foreign minister underscored the necessity of observance of international law by all world nations, including Iran, Fars news agency reported.

Iran signed a deal with Russia in 1995, under which the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran was originally scheduled for completion in 1999.

However, the project was repeatedly delayed by the Russian side due to intense pressures exerted by the United States and its Western allies against the move.

On May 9, Iranian and Russian experts completed loading fuel into the reactor at the Bushehr plant, officially putting it into service. It will start generating electricity in two months' time.

In October 2010, Iran started injecting fuel into the core of the reactor at the Bushehr nuclear power plant in the initial phase of its launch. However, engineers began removing the fuel rods in late February for safety reasons.

The unloading of the fuel delayed the plant's joining the national grid, initially scheduled for the beginning of 2011.

Bushehr, which is Iran's first nuclear power plant, operates under the full supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) has already announced that the facility is quake-proof and will never experience a situation similar to the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

According to the AEOI, the safety systems used at Bushehr meet the latest international standards, but the safety systems at the Fukushima plant belonged to the 1960s and 70s.