Russia plan to launch Iran reactor “premature”

Bushehr nuclear plant sees Russia plan a 2010 reactor startup as Hillary Clinton and Sergei Lavrov debate Iran's civil nuclear power, IAEA oversight, UN non-proliferation compliance, and sanctions during Moscow talks addressing weapons concerns.

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said that Russia's plan to start up the nuclear reactor at an Iranian power station was "premature" without further assurances on Tehran's nuclear program.

As Ms. Clinton and Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov held talks in Moscow, Prime Minister Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would start up the reactor it is building at the Bushehr plant in the summer of 2010.

When asked about the plan to start up the plant and to ship nuclear fuel to Iran, Ms. Clinton said: "Iran is entitled to civil nuclear power; it is a nuclear weapons program that it is not entitled to."

"If it reassures the world, or if its behaviour is changed because of international sanctions, as Russia delays fuel shipments to Iran, then they can pursue peaceful, civil nuclear power," Ms. Clinton said.

"In the absence of those reassurances, we think it would be premature to go forward with any project at this time because we want to send an unequivocal message to the Iranians," she said.

Mr. Lavrov, speaking alongside Ms. Clinton after talks in Moscow, responded by saying the Bushehr plant, where Iran plans to inject fuel into its first reactor, was key to maintaining the presence of the UN's nuclear agency in Iran.

"Bushehr plays a special role in maintaining the IAEA's presence in Iran, and as Russia seeks to build more reactors for Iran, in ensuring that Iran is complying with its non-proliferation obligations," Mr. Lavrov said.

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