Russia delays launch of Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant

Russia has again delayed the launch of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear reactor, saying it would not launch the plant by the end of this year as planned.

The move was announced Monday by Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko, who insisted the move was governed by “technological conditions” and not politics.

The plant, being built by Russia under a contract believed to be worth $1 billion, is nearing completion, and Iran began tests there in February ahead of a 2009 launch.

The latest delay will likely please the U.S., which has stepped up efforts to prevent Iran from going nuclear, despite the Islamic Republic’s insistence that the program is purely civilian.

Meeting at the APEC summit in Singapore on Sunday, President Barack Obama appeared to win agreement from Russian President Dmitry Medvedev that Iran was not living up to its international obligations.

Russia has also dragged on delivering its S-300 antiaircraft missiles to Iran, prompting a senior Iranian lawmaker to say this weekend that the country could start to develop its own missiles.

Russian cooperation on Iran is vital, not least of all because of the military ties between the country and Russia’s veto on the U.N. Security Council. Russia has stopped short of supporting U.S. plans to impose sanctions on Iran.

http://www.globalpost.com/notebook/russia-and-its-neighbors/091116/russia-delays-launch-irans-bushehr-nuclear-plant