DATE=11/25/98 TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT NUMBER=2-242144 TITLE=RUSSIA / IRAN / NUCLEAR (L ONLY) BYLINE=GIL BUTLER DATELINE=MOSCOW CONTENT= VOICED AT: INTRO: RUSSIA'S MINISTER OF NUCLEAR ENERGY HAS GIVEN MORE DETAILS OF HIS COUNTRY'S CONTRACT TO BUILD NUCLEAR POWER STATIONS FOR IRAN -- DESPITE OBJECTIONS OF THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL. V-O-A'S GIL BUTLER REPORTS FROM MOSCOW. TEXT: NUCLEAR ENERGY MINISTER YEGENY ADAMOV TOLD A MOSCOW NEWS CONFERENCE THAT IRAN HAS ASKED RUSSIA TO PREPARE A FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR THREE MORE NUCLEAR REACTORS AT BUSHEHR. RUSSIAN WORKERS ARE NOW CONSTRUCTING A SINGLE ONE-THOUSAND MEGAWATT REACTOR AT THE GULF PORT FOR ABOUT 800-MILLION DOLLARS. MR. ADAMOV SAYS IRAN BELIEVES THE WORK ON THE FIRST REACTOR WILL BE COMPLETED AND, HE SAYS, THEIR PROPOSAL FOR THREE MORE, PROVES THEY ARE SERIOUS. HE SAYS THE THREE ADDITIONAL REACTORS WOULD COST BETWEEN THREE AND FOUR-BILLION DOLLARS. THE UNITED STATES HAS LONG ARGUED AGAINST GIVING IRAN NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY THAT MIGHT BE USED TO DEVELOP WEAPONS. BUT THE RUSSIAN MINISTER INSISTS THE STATION IS ONLY FOR PEACEFUL GENERATION OF ELECTRICITY. HE COMPARED IT TO THE PLANNED LIGHT WATER NUCLEAR POWER PLANTS THE UNITED STATES AND OTHERS ARE TO SUPPLY NORTH KOREA IF IT ABANDONS NUCLEAR WEAPONS AMBITIONS. /// ADAMOV ACT - IN RUSSIAN - FADE UNDER /// MR. ADAMOV SAYS THE BUILDING OF THE NUCLEAR STATION DOES NOT INCREASE IRAN'S NUCLEAR POTENTIAL.. THAT IS ABSOLUTELY OBVIOUS HE SAYS, AND THE UNITED STATES THEMSELVES, WHILE WISHING TO CHECK THE DEVELOPMENT OF NORTH KOREA'S NUCLEAR POTENTIAL, SUGGESTED BUILDING THERE NEW PLANTS -- OF THE SAME TYPE THAT RUSSIA IS BUILDING IN IRAN. LATER, MR. ADAMOV'S DEPUTY, VIKTOR MIKHAILOV, TOLD REPORTERS THAT EVEN IF IRAN DECIDED TO START A NUCLEAR WEAPONS PROGRAM, IT WOULD TAKE -- IN HIS WORDS -- 10, 15, OR 20 YEARS TO DEVELOP NUCLEAR WEAPONS. MR. ADAMOV SAID WORK ON THE FIRST REACTOR IS GOING FULL SPEED AFTER BEING STALLED UNTIL THE MIDDLE OF THIS YEAR. BOTH IRAN AND RUSSIA HAVE SAID THEY EXPECT THE BUSHEHR PLANT TO BE COMMISSIONED NEXT YEAR. (SIGNED) NEB/MGB/JWH 25-Nov-98 11:03 AM EST (1603 UTC) NNNN Source: Voice of America .
