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Putin's trip to Iran a turning point in Tehran-Moscow relations

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

Moscow, Dec 27, IRNA -- Russian Federation Council Chairman (Upper 
House of Russian Parliament) said here Monday that the trip by the 
Russian President Vladimir Putin in 2005 will be turning point 
Tehran-Moscow relations. 
Sergei Mironov told IRNA that ground and potentials of expansion 
of bilateral economic and political relations are vast. 
Referring to the importance of Tehran-Moscow cooperation in 
international arenas, he added that "Putin`s visit to Tehran should 
bolster mutual ties." 
Mironov, who was recently in Tehran on an an invitation by the 
Speaker of Majlis Qolamali Haddad Adel, added that he held 
constructive discussions with Iranian officials. 
He also reckoned that the prospects of Iran-Russia cooperation in 
2005, given that the Joint Economic Cooperation Commission session and
other meetings between the two countries officials were held this 
year, will be bright. 
Russia and Iran have the great potential to develop their 
cooperation in the power industry, gas and oil sphere as well as in 
other industries, said Russian Federation Council Chairman as he 
addressed deputies of the Iranian Parliament earlier in December. 
The chairman noted that the two sides had "created a legal basis 
for trade and economic cooperation, and work is in progress to 
expand and improve it." The two sides have also prepared a package of 
new contracts in this sphere. 
He said "Russian-Iranian trade hit nearly 1.4 billion US dollars 
last year" but admitted that the two countries have "far from 
exhausted their opportunities." 
According to Mironov, questions of development and deepening of 
cooperation with Iran are fully supported by the Council. 
"Our potential is unique in many respects and we are pleased that 
we can use it in the interests of our countries," the chairman said. 
Tehran and Moscow are currently working out the technical details 
of an agreement that would bring the nuclear power plant in the 
Iranian port city of Bushehr on line in 2006, Russian Federation 
Council Chairman Sergei Mironov said last Saturday. 
The issue on the return of spent nuclear fuel has seen operations 
of the power plant pushed back several times from its initial target 
of 2003. 
In August, Iran said the plant would become operational in October
2006, a year behind schedule. 
Once operational, the Bushehr power plant is projected to generate
1,000 megawatts of electricity, 6,000 megawatts less than Iran`s 
nuclear power production target for 2021. 
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