Rosatom head Sergei Kiriyenko said Thursday that Iran's first nuclear plant was on schedule and would be put into operation in August, while Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov urged Tehran to cooperate with international nuclear authorities to avoid possible sanctions.
The Russian-built plant in Bushehr has been a key issue of contention between Iran and the international community. Iran and Russia say the plant is intended only for electricity generation, but critics say it has been a part of possible Iranian efforts to develop nuclear weapons.
"We expect the nuclear power plant will be launched by August if everything goes according to plan," Kiriyenko said.
"The resolution on Iran being drawn up will not affect these plans," he added.
The United Nations Security Council is exploring sanctions against Iran for the country's refusal to halt uranium enrichment. Russia and China were responsible for watering down the language of previous anti-Iran sanctions but have appeared to swing behind the United States, Britain and France recently.
Lavrov urged the Iranians to avoid sanctions by working together with the International Atomic Energy Agency on an agreement — sponsored by Turkey and Brazil — that would ease fears that Iran is secretly developing nuclear weapons.
"We want Tehran to formalize the contents of its agreement — how it is going to be implemented concretely — to the IAEA as soon as possible," Lavrov said in Rome.
Turkey and Brazil brokered the deal on Monday in a last-ditch effort to stave off sanctions. It calls for Iran to ship low-enriched uranium to Turkey, where it would be stored. In exchange, Iran would receive, within one year, higher-enriched fuel rods to be used in a U.S.-built medical research reactor.
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