Russia shrugs off US pressure over Iran reactor
Date: 16-Jul-02
Country: IRAN
Author: Mikhail Yenukov
Alexander Rumyantsev defended Iran's right to build the plant at Bushehr on the Gulf coast, strongly criticised by Washington as a means by which Tehran could acquire nuclear weapons.
"There is pressure (from the United States)," Rumyantsev told a news conference.
"Iran has signed all necessary protocols and agreements with the International Atomic Energy Agency. By its rules, no country can suffer discrimination if it wants to develop nuclear power for peaceful purposes."
He said heavy equipment was on its way from Russia to Iran and the turbines for the station would be shipped in August.
Rumyantsev said he was holding informal talks on the reactor with Washington.
"The negotiations are going on and we are finding common ground," Rumyantsev said. "But they are far from over."
U.S. President George Bush has labelled Iran a part of an "axis of evil" along with Iraq and North Korea. It has accused Tehran of seeking to acquire weapons of mass destruction and sponsoring terrorism.
Influential U.S. defence analysts presented a blueprint to resolve the deadlock between the Russian and U.S. governments, saying construction at Bushehr should go ahead if Russia gave assurances that it would only build reactors in Iran and take back spent fuel.
They also said Iran should sign an additional IAEA protocol on intrusive inspections and renounce other nuclear activities, like reprocessing and enrichment of nuclear fuel.
Iranian energy officials have said they will allow the IAEA to monitor construction at Bushehr and an official at the Vienna-based agency has said insepctions could take place four to six times per year once nuclear materials arrived there.
TALKS ON SPENT FUEL
Rumyantsev said the Russian and Iranian governments were working on contract amendments so that Russia could ship fresh fuel and Iran could send it back in its highly radioactive spent form.
Russia's parliament last year approved a law allowing Russia to import commercial spent fuel despite furious protests from environmentalists who said it would turn Russia into a nuclear dump and concerns that imports could pose proliferation risks.
President Vladimir Putin signed it on condition that parliament amend it to create a parliamentary oversight body. That has not yet happened.
The Atomic Energy Ministry says Russia can earn billions of dollars by bringing in and reprocessing foreign spent fuel.
Rumyantsev said Russia could begin accepting and reprocessing foreign spent fuel in November, but did not elaborate on the status of the import law.
He said South Korea had shown interest in shipping its spent fuel to Russia.
Rumyantsev also said Russian engineers would finish building a nuclear power plant in China by 2004.