Tuesday, September 26 2006 17:28 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Moscow: Russia and Iran today (Sept 26, 2006) signed an agreement under which Moscow will complete construction of Bushehr nuclear power plant for launch in September next year while it will start supplying fuel in March itself.

"The protocol signed by the President of Russia's Atomstroiexport company Sergei Shmatko and his Iranian counterpart Mohammed Jonatyan envisions the supply of fuel in March, the physical launch in September 2007, while energy production will begin in November 2007," he said.

"A specific plan has been charted to build a nuclear power plant in Bushehr, and we'll strictly honour our obligations," Secretary of National Security Council Igor Ivanov was quoted as saying by Interfax.

Ivanov, who is Moscow's pointsman in pursuing Tehran to allay concerns of the international community over its nuclear programme, gave the assurance at his Kremlin meeting with the visiting Iranian Vice President and head of the Iranian Atomic Energy Organisation Gholam Reza Aghazadeh.

An agreement on the final terms of fuel deliveries for the nuclear power plant in Bushehr has been reached with Russia, Aghazadeh noted after yesterday's talks with the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency Chief Sergei Kiriyenko.

During his meeting with Aghazadeh, Igor Ivanov underscored that the Iranian nuclear problem can be solved only through negotiations.

"These issues should be solved on the basis of the proposals by the sextet (UN SC P-5 and Germany) and Iran's initiatives," he said.

"We consider that such agreements that respect Iran's right to peaceful nuclear energy and that lift the concerns of the international community as far as the non-proliferation regime is concerned should be evolved," Ivanov said.