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DATE=11/24/98
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-242092
TITLE=RUSSIA / IRAN / NUCLEAR (L ONLY)
BYLINE=GIL BUTLER
DATELINE=MOSCOW
CONTENT=
VOICED AT: 
INTRO:  RUSSIA HAS SIGNED AN AGREEMENT TO COMPLETE CONSTRUCTION 
OF A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT IN IRAN AND STUDY THE FEASIBILITY OF 
BUILDING A SECOND FACILITY.  V-O-A'S GIL BUTLER REPORTS FROM 
MOSCOW.
TEXT:  THE RUSSIAN NEWS AGENCY ITAR-TASS REPORTED AN AGREEMENT 
WAS SIGNED IN TEHRAN TO SPEED CONSTRUCTION OF A POWER PLANT IN 
BUSHEHR, IRAN.  NO DATE WAS GIVEN FOR THE COMPLETION OF THE  
FACILITY, BUT BOTH IRAN AND RUSSIA HAVE SAID IT IS EXPECTED TO BE
COMMISSIONED NEXT YEAR.  
IN ADDITION THERE IS TO BE A THREE MONTH FEASIBILITY STUDY FOR 
CONSTRUCTION OF ANOTHER ONE-THOUSAND MEGAWATT UNIT AT BESHEHR AND
A SECOND PLANT ELSEWHERE IN IRAN.  THE COST OF THE FIRST BUSHEHR 
FACILITY WAS PUT BY IRANIAN OFFICIALS AS 780 TO 800-MILLION 
DOLLARS.
AT A JOINT NEWS CONFERENCE IN TEHRAN, RUSSIAN NUCLEAR ENERGY  
MINISTER YEVGENY ADAMOV WAS QUOTED AS SAYING PRESSURE BROUGHT ON 
RUSSIA BY THE UNITED STATES  NOT  TO BUILD THE NUCLEAR PLANT WILL
NOT  AFFECT THE SCHEDULE.
BOTH THE UNITED STATES AND ISRAEL HAVE OBJECTED TO IRAN'S 
ACQUIRING NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY, FEARING IT COULD BE USED TO DEVELOP
NUCLEAR WEAPONS.  RUSSIA INSISTS THE REACTOR CAN BE USED ONLY FOR
CIVILIAN PURPOSES.
TEHRAN RADIO ALSO SAID THE BUSHEHR PLANT WILL BE USED ONLY TO  
GENERATE POWER.  IT SAYS THE FACILITIES HAVE BEEN APPROVED BY THE
INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY.
THE RUSSIAN NEWS AGENCY SAYS NUCLEAR WASTE FROM THE BUSHEHR 
FACILITY IS TO BE SHIPPED TO RUSSIA FOR REPROCESSING, THEN 
RETURNED TO IRAN FOR REPEATED USE.
ITAR-TASS ALSO QUOTED MR. ADAMOV AS SAYING UKRAINE'S REFUSAL TO 
SUPPLY TURBINES FOR THE PLANT WILL HAVE  NO  EFFECT BECAUSE THEY 
WILL NOW BE CONSTRUCTED IN ST. PETERSBURG.
THE BESHEHR NUCLEAR PLANT WAS ORIGINALLY PLANNED BY THE LATE SHAH
OF IRAN IN 1974, BUT THE IRANIAN REVOLUTION AND THE IRAN-IRAQ WAR
HALTED WORK.  RUSSIA AGREED TO BUILD THE PLANT IN 1995, AND ABOUT
600 RUSSIANS HAVE BEEN AT WORK THERE.  NOW, APPARENTLY, AN 
ACCELERATED TIME TABLE HAS BEEN ESTABLISHED FOR ITS COMPLETION.  
(SIGNED)
NEB/MGB/JWH
24-Nov-98 10:54 AM EST (1554 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.