Russia Set For Iran's Nuclear Plant Launch, Top Nuclear Official Says

[Purveyor]

Source: CNN

Moscow, Russia (CNN) -- Russia's top nuclear official Thursday called the pending supply of nuclear fuel to Iran's first atomic energy plant "an event of crucial importance" that proves that "Russia always fulfills its (international) obligations."

Sergei Kiriyenko, general director of Rosatom, the Russian State Atomic Energy Corporation, debriefed Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on the August 21 arrival of fuel at the Bushehr facility, which Iran says will create atomic energy but which other nations fear could be used for nuclear weapons.

"The physical launch of the station will be controlled by the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency) inspectors," Kiriyenko told Putin, according to a transcript of their meeting published on the Russian government website.

"They will unseal the containers with the fuel that we supplied them more than a year ago, after coordinating this deal with all our international partners. So now this fuel will be unsealed and moved into the reactor compartment," Kiriyenko said. "This marks the beginning of the physical launch of the station -- it turns from a construction project into an operating one," he said.

It is important that Russia adheres to its policy that any country in the world has a right to develop its peaceful nuclear energy program under the IAEA control and conforming to international norms and provisions, Kiriyenko said. It is also important to note that Russia, being the prime contractor for the Bushehr facility, conducted this international project in conjunction with more than 10 other countries, he said.

Read more: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/meast/08/19/russia.iran.nuclear/

[roamer65]

1. I wonder what the Israelis are up to right now.

[Prometheus Bound]

2. Huffing and puffing and cursing and swearing.

But I hope that's all.