Bushehr nuclear plant operative at last?

The head of Russia's state nuclear company, Sergei Kiriyenko has said that Iran's first nuclear power plant will become operative this year. 

The head of Rosatom Nuclear Energy State Corporation noted that the activity of the nuclear plant is peaceful and stressed that the international community and the IAEA are aware of the fact, IRNA reported on Thursday. 

He noted that the launch of the Bushehr nuclear power plant will be an honor for the Russian nuclear experts who have cooperated with Iranian experts to complete the project. 

Kiriyenko said that according to the terms of the contract with Iran, Russian experts will remain in Iran for a year after the launch of the nuclear power plant. 

He added that Iran has proposed establishing a joint institute with Russia to run the Bushehr nuclear plant. 

Iran and Russia signed an agreement on nuclear cooperation in 1992. Russia then signed a contract in January 1995 to build Iran's first nuclear power plant in the southern city of Bushehr. The plant will be capable of generating some 1,000 megawatts of electricity annually. 

The nuclear power plant was scheduled to be completed in 1998 but the completion of the project was postponed several times.