The head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and senior officials from Russia’s Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation met in Tehran and discussed promoting cooperation between the allies in the field of peaceful nuclear energy.
Mohammad Eslami met with Rosatom’s Visiting Deputy Director-General for International Affairs Nikolai Spassky in Tehran on Wednesday.
Mr. Spassky led a delegation to the Iranian capital after Mr. Eslami’s visit to Moscow on September 24, during which the two countries signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on cooperation in the construction of small nuclear power plants, also known as small modular reactors (SMRs), in Iran.
At Wednesday’s meeting, officials discussed expanding bilateral nuclear cooperation, including projects focused on building SMRs.
He also mentioned another memorandum of understanding signed during Mr. Eslami’s visit, which covers cooperation on Iran’s Hormoz nuclear power plant project, including the construction of four 1,250-megawatt power reactors.
Two days after Eslami’s visit, Iranian and Russian officials signed a $25 billion deal to build four nuclear reactors.
The agreement was concluded as part of the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between the two countries, signed in January, and includes a 20-year roadmap for bilateral relations.
In recent days, the Russian parliament’s lower house, the State Duma, approved the treaty, making it binding.
AEOI reported on Wednesday’s meeting and said consultations between officials were “extensive” and extended to other areas of cooperation.
“Both sides reviewed the progress of ongoing nuclear cooperation and emphasized the need to accelerate the implementation of joint projects,” the report said.
They also agreed that Rosatom Director-General Alexei Likhachev will make an official visit to Iran in the near future to follow up on the agreed issues and personally inspect the construction progress of Units 2 and 3 of the Bushehr nuclear power plant, which was built in southern Iran with Russian cooperation.
MNA