MOSCOW -- Russia's Nuclear Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev is to leave Moscow for Tehran on Sunday, December 22, for talks with the Iranian officials on the Iran-Russia nuclear cooperation.

The Russian minister said his visit is aimed at speeding up the construction of the nuclear power station in Bushehr and on a return of nuclear fuel waste to Russia, IRNA reported.

The return of nuclear fuel to Russia after its use by the nuclear power plant is a must of our cooperation with Iran, the minister emphasized in an interview with the Rianovosti news agency.

While building nuclear stations in Iran, Russia acts according to a definite scheme which consists of supplying fuel for the constructed nuclear power plants and then bringing back home the wastes for processing and storage, the minister explained.

Regarding the accelerating of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant's construction, he said it was planned initially that the first power unit would start generating power in 2004-2005 but the Russian side reported later a possibility of its construction by the end of 2003.

He said the Iran-Russia nuclear cooperation is strictly of peaceful nature while adding that this cooperation does not violate any international understandings.

He noted that the construction of the Bushehr station is under IAEA control. Under the contract with Iran, Russia is to receive one billion U.S. dollars for the construction of the first power unit, the minister said and added that, "Plans for the next unit is a thing of the future, which has not been discussed yet."

Iran's nuclear program is not aimed at creating weapons of mass destruction, according to a senior Russian specialist, who termed as "absolutely peaceful by nature" Tehran's nuclear program.

Rumyantsev said he is not scheduled to visit the Iranian sites of Natanz and Arak during his upcoming trip to the country.

Commenting on the U.S. concerns about the construction of a research laboratory in Natanz and a plant to make heavy water in Arak, he said centers are to produce fuel for the Bushehr power station.

CNN recently cited unnamed U.S. officials as claiming that American satellites had spotted two Iranian places, one in the central city of Arak and the other in Natanz in the Isfahan Province, which suggested they could be used for making nuclear weapons.

Washington has previously claimed that Iran may use its under-construction plant in southern Bushehr, built with Russian assistance, for developing nuclear arms.

Russia has repeatedly insisted that Iran and Russia are determined to go ahead with their nuclear cooperation based on the international standards and rules.

Russia is quite confident that the nuclear facilities in Iran would be used only for peaceful purposes and Bushehr nuclear site considers duly the rules of the international energy organizations.

Moscow is determined to continue cooperation with Tehran while viewing its economic interests as well as its obligations as for the non-proliferation principle.

Russian cooperation with Iran has long been a sore point with Washington, with the Bushehr Power Plant an especially sensitive issue.

Reportedly, a 10-year program for Tehran-Moscow cooperation proposed by Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Kasyanov indicates a desire of the Russian government to consolidate relations with the Islamic Republic.

Press reports suggested that Moscow's decision to strengthen relations with Iran, particularly in areas the U.S. opposes, is meant to defy U.S. pressure. A Washington-based daily recently outlined Russian plans to build 5 nuclear power plants for Iran over the next decade.