• Military

• WMD Menu                           

• Introduction
• Systems
• Facilities
• Agencies
• Operations
• Countries
• Hot Documents
• News
• Reports
• Policy
• Budget
• Congress
• Links

• Intelligence
• Homeland Security
• Space

Russian minister says Iran-Russia cooperation transparent

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Moscow, Jan 30, IRNA -- Russian Atomic Energy Minister Alexander 
Rumyantsev said on Thursday that the nuclear cooperation between Iran 
and Russia are quite transparent while adding that both counties are 
well determined to go ahead with the nuclear cooperation. 
Iran has time and again reiterated the transparency of its atomic 
program and made it known that it doesn`t intend to produce nuclear 
weapons, said the Russian minister while speaking to reporters. 
Rumyantsev stated that Iran`s continued cooperation with the 
International Atomic Energy Organization and the Tehran Declaration 
on signing additional protocol have provided a proper framework for 
collaboration between Tehran and IAEA. 
Rumyatsev who was speaking to reporters said Russia recognizes the
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) as the main instrument of 
control over non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. 
Commenting on the role of the IAEA, he said the IEAE is an 
effective mechanism of control over proliferation of nuclear materials
which developed in the course of a historical process, he noted. 
He referred to the case of Libya and said the country`s recent 
decision to open and make its nuclear programs transparent for IAEA 
inspectors was another proof of the effectiveness of the IAEA`s 
operation. 
He said the Agency over 50 years of its operation has shown high 
professionalism and impartiality of its specialists and has done very 
much to halt the spreading of fission materials and mass destruction 
weapons over the world. 
Rumyantsev said he would discuss the Iranian issue with U.S. 
Undersecretary of State John Bolton at a meeting on Friday but 
reiterated that Moscow has a firm resolve to complete the 
nuclear-powered plan in Iran`s Bushehr. 
Since the last meeting with Bolton the situation has made 
considerable headway, he said, noting that Iran had signed an 
additional protocol with the IAEA. 
Rumyantsev said he would also discuss with Bolton problems of 
non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, their stock-taking, and control,
as well as return to Russia of spent nuclear fuel from Russian-built 
nuclear power plants abroad. 
The Atomic Energy Ministry`s exports were worth three billion 
dollars last year. According to the minister, his department was 
planning to earn as much in 2004. 
Exports depend on the situation on the market, which can change as
new members join the European Union, he said . 
He noted that his Ministry mostly exported nuclear fuel, stable 
and radioactive materials and took part in projects to build nuclear 
power plants. In 2003, export revenue exceeded the previous year`s by 
400 million dollars, he said. 
Russia is planning to build nuclear power plants of large output, 
Rumyantsev said and noted that Russia mostly lost the tender for 
building a nuclear power plant in Finland because of insufficient 
output of the reactor it proposed to build. 
The tender was won by Germany`s Siemens, which will build a 1,600 
megawatt plant, he said adding that "Our failure to win the tender 
shows that the future belongs to large output reactors. 
Russia continues the construction of nuclear power plants in Iran.
According to Rumyantsev, reactors of the nuclear submarine Kursk, 
after it was hoisted to the surface, were functional, and could 
operate at full capacity. It shows expediency of the construction of 
floating nuclear power plants with reactors of the type used by 
nuclear submarines and ice-breakers. 
Russia has already designed such a floating plant of small 
capacity, and is presently looking for investments, Rumyantsev said. 
HB/214 
End