Russia To Double Staff At Iran Nuclear Plant: RIA

[Purveyor]

Source: Reuters

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia's state nuclear contractor said on Thursday it would double staff at Iran's first nuclear power station over the next year as Moscow prepares to start up the reactor at the plant, RIA news agency reported.

Russia has already delivered nuclear fuel under a $1 billion contract to build the Bushehr plant, on the Gulf coast in southwest Iran, and Iranian officials say the reactor is likely to be started up in mid-2008.

Russia's state-run Atomstroiexport, which is building the plant, will boost staff by about 1,000 from 1,300 at present, RIA reported, quoting the firm's chief, Sergei Shmatko.

"In the next few weeks 200 to 300 specialists will come to the station," RIA quoted Shmatko as saying in Bushehr. "In the course of the year we plan to boost the number of specialists by 1,000 people."

He said Russia and Iran would create a joint venture to run the Bushehr plant.



Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSL1413479020080214

---

So Israel/US, you wanna 'touch this'?