Iran, Russia plan Bushehr power plant launch in August

PanARMENIAN.Net - Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said on Tuesday, July 26 the country is in talks with Russia to set a time for launch of Bushehr power plant and holding a ceremony.

“We hope to agree to run the power plant late Ramadan -- Muslims' fasting month -- in August," he told reporters in his press weekly press conference.

Mehmanparast added, "the launch process is roughly accomplished and the power plant is conducting the test to join the national grid."

Concerning the US, France, and the UK claim which called installation of new generation of centrifuges in Iran "provocative", he said, ”what different countries say about the issue is out of the legal frame defined by Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) as rights of countries."

"We believe they (the three countries) had better choose to cooperate rather than objecting to Iran’s right to use nuclear know-how for peaceful activities."

"According to NPT, we have the right to have fuel cycle. It is natural to try to make progress in civilian nuclear technology if we intend to possess peaceful nuclear activities."

Mehmanparast noted, “this is exactly in accordance with Iran’s peaceful purposes. As Iranian Parliament has commissioned us with providing 20000 MW nuclear power which is 20 times more than the amount of power generated by Bushehr power plant. So the increase of power and speed of the centrifuges mean we can meet our country’s needs by fewer power plants and employ it in medicine, industries and agriculture," according to ISNA.