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Russian nuclear official to visit Iran in early December

Moscow, Sept 27 (IRNA) Head of Russian Federal Energy Agency Sergei Kiriyenko will pay a visit to Tehran in early December to discuss with Iranian officials issues related to mutual cooperation.

Deputy Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) for International Affairs Mohammad Saeedi told reporters in Moscow on Tuesday that the it is hoped that the visit would help the two sides reach agreement on speedy commissioning of Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Saeedi said that based on an agreement signed by Tehran and Moscow on Tuesday, Bushehr nuclear power plant will become operational by September 2007 and Russia will ship fuel to Iran in March 2007.

He said that in the meeting of the AEOI Head Gholam-Reza Aqazadeh and his Russian counterpart, Russians promised to observe the timetable for completion of the project and the Russian government practically assured Iran of its commitment to finish the project.

Regarding financial problems facing the contractor of the project, he said the two sides will solve the problem through a mutual contract.

Asked on outcome of talks between Aqazadeh and Russian Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov, Saeedi said the two sides discussed latest status of Iran's talks with the Group 5+1 and the Russian party voiced optimism about outcome of the talks.

Ivanov said he was confident that an agreement would be reached by Iran and Group 5+1, added the Iranian official.

Saeedi quoted Ivanov as telling Aqazadeh at the meeting that dialogue is the best solution to Iran's nuclear problem and through that way regional security would be guaranteed.

He ruled out certain media reports on possibility of 90-day suspension of Iran's enrichment activities. "That's not true and the basis of talks between Iran and the 5+1 Group is the proposals of both sides," he made it clear.

"We try to benefit from the best experiences in that connection," said Saeedi when asked about Iran's decision to involve Russians in its energy projects despite the latter's repeated delays in commissioning Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Aqazadeh, who arrived in Moscow on Monday, met and conferred with Kiriyenkov and Ivanov.

Kiriyenko had already announced that Bushehr nuclear power plant project will not be commissioned sooner than November and the Iranian officials have called for speedy implementation of the project.