Tehran said on Saturday there were no obstacles to Russia delivering
fuel for Iran's first nuclear power plant, although the Russian
contractor signalled likely delays to the project.
"There are no financial, legal or technical obstacles to
delivering the fuel," the semi-official Mehr news agency
quoted Mohammad Saidi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation,
as saying.
"We hope the Russian government delivers the fuel for the
plant to Iran by the end of March 2007," he added.
Saidi met executives from Russian contractor Atomstroiexport
earlier this week in Moscow in an effort to resolve what Moscow
has called a financial dispute over construction of the much-delayed
Bushehr station in southern Iran.
He denied reports that the Moscow meeting had failed after the
talks ended without agreement. New negotiations are due to take
place next week in Tehran.
"Our discussions will continue in Tehran and we will offer
suggestions," Saidi said.
Under a Tehran-Moscow deal reached last September, Russia was
to deliver nuclear fuel to Iran in March, the power station would
begin working in September and it would start producing energy
in November.
Iran has vehemently denied charges by Western powers that its
nuclear programme is covertly military, saying it is peaceful
and aimed at generating electricity.
But permanent UN Security Council members the United States,
Britain, China, France and Russia plus Germany are discussing
possible new sanctions against Iran, which would tighten measures
that were adopted in December.
Those sanctions were imposed after Tehran refused to freeze its
uranium enrichment programme which, in addition to producing fuel
for nuclear power stations can also supply material to make atomic
bombs.
On Friday, Russia expressed fresh reservations about tightening
sanctions against Iran.
Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, told
reporters in in New York that he thought an agreement could be
reached next week. But he added that "for us the substance
is more important than the speed."
The United States has urged Russia to suspend construction of
the Bushehr facility.
