First Block of Iran's Nuclear Power Station to Go On Stream This Year
Russian-produced reactor equipment and turbine installation would be delivered to the construction site shortly, Reshetnikov said quoted by ITAR-TASS.
The project would be completed in 2003, the official said, adding that some 700 Russian specialists were already working at the site, double-checking the construction equipment's conformity to Russian standards, the AFP reported.
Russian President Vladimir Putin's administration stepped up Moscow's ties with its former Soviet-era allies, specifically focusing its attention on the strategic Caspian Sea despite Washington's expressions of concern.
The construction of Iran's nuclear power plant in Bushehr began with the cooperation of Germany before the Islamic Revolution. But the Germans backtracked after the revolution causing billions of dollars of loss to Iran without proper compensation.
Iran then signed an agreement with Japan to complete the plant, but the Japanese did not remain loyal to their commitment. The compensation Japan gave to Iran was not really up to the mark.
Later Iran turned to Russia. Thus far Russia has remained loyal to this commitment. Moscow is expected to remain loyal to its commitment. What is at stake is indeed the prestige of Russia among the Third World countries.
Russia under Putin has decided to come out of the cocoon of its isolationist policy. Therefore, its relations with Iran will be a benchmark for other Asian countries. If Russia betrays Iran, other countries will not trust it.
Military cooperation between Tehran and Moscow would start within next few years bringing up to seven billion dollars for Russia, said Iranian Ambassador to Moscow, Mahdi Safari.
The proceeds -- much higher than Russian estimates of potential sales -- would be earned from selling conventional weapons and training specialists, the Iranian envoy told Interfax news agency.
Russia told the United States in November it was scrapping a secret five-year-old agreement to cease conventional arms sales to Iran, prompting the White House to threaten Moscow with sanctions.
Interfax has reported that Iran is interested in buying from Russia S-300 anti-aircraft missiles, MI-17 combat helicopters and SU-25 fighter planes.
An official in Defense Minister Igor Sergeyev's delegation to Tehran last December, quoted by Iran's state IRNA news agency, said future arms sales could be in the long-term worth as much as two billion dollars.
Russia exported a record four billion dollars worth of weapons in 2000.
Meanwhile, in an interview published by **** Rossiskaya Gazeta **** on Thursday Safari said that Iran and Russia will continue their cooperation in various fields despite U.S. threats.
"Russia and Iran are two strong states and I believe that consolidation of our cooperation will continue regardless of influence of any third country, especially the United States," he said.
Safari said that Iranian President Mohammad Khatami is to visit Russia in March 19 at the invitation of his Russian opposite number Vladimir Putin.
The ambassador said the presidents' talks were likely to address both bilateral cooperation and issues of Caspian Sea security.
Safari commented on the U.S. program of deploying a national missile defense system as a deterrence to missile attack by so-called rogue states among which it lists Iran. He stressed that the U.S. claim of a nuclear threat from Iran was "groundless."
"The U.S. is 10,000-12,000 kilometers away from Iran. We have no missiles which could range this distance. We do not have nuclear weapons," he said.
Earlier this month, Russian Interfax cited the head of Russia's arms export monopoly as saying Moscow could sign a deal on military-technical cooperation with Iran before the end of the year.
Iranian Defense Minister Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani also plans to visit Russia in spring at the invitation of his Russian counterpart Marshal Igor Sergeyev.