Russia to Launch Bushehr Plant in February

Source: Alalam.ir, 9-9-2008
MOSCOW--The Russian state-run company building Iran's first nuclear plant says preparations for the reactor's launch had entered their final stage.
Atomstroiexport chief Leonid Reznikov said that by year's end the company will take steps that will make the launch of the Bushehr plant "irreversible".
Company spokeswoman Irina Yesipova said the launch date will be determined after talks between Russian and Iranian nuclear officials this month.
"The start-up of the first reactor at Iran's first nuclear plant will be "irreversible" by February next year", ITAR-TASS quoted Reznikov as saying.
"Between December 2008 and February 2009 various technical measures will be carried out... that will make the physical start-up process of the first Bushehr reactor irreversible," Reznikov said.
Reznikov had travelled to Iran earlier this month to check on progress in construction of the plant.
He said further high-level meetings between Russian and Iranian officials would be held September 29.
Russia signed the $1 billion deal to build the 1,000-megawatt light-water reactor in 1995. That deal also included training of Iranian nuclear specialists and delivery of the nuclear fuel needed for the plant's reactor.
Russia and Iran two years ago signed a deal under which the spent nuclear fuel rods from Bushehr must be repatriated to Russia for treatment.
US State Department spokesman Sean McCormack did not comment directly on the Russian statements but pointed out that the deal between Russia and Iran on Bushehr has long been in place.
"In a sense, it is a kind of model for Iran being able to have civilian nuclear energy without the fuel cycle,'' he said.