Rafayel Arutiunian, first deputy director of Nuclear Safety Institute

– Russia complies with all of its international commitments

The situation over fuel deliveries to Bushehr NPP is rather politicized. In reality, everything is much simpler. There is an international agreement meeting all international requirements, including the nonproliferation regime. Iran recognizes IAEA’s control. The Americans have admitted that Iran is not creating any nuclear weapon. So, here we have no threat to nonproliferation.

Nuclear weapon may be created – contrary to the nonproliferation regime – by a country having no nuclear industry at all (just remember Pakistan). Such a country just needs to pass a relevant decision having nothing to do with nuclear energy problems or use of “double technologies.”  

I would like to point out once again that nuclear power plants receive low-enriched fuel, which has nothing to do with nuclear weapons.

IAEA expert say that the Iranians already can enrich uranium to 3.7%. So, they can produce low-enriched fuel in any case – whether we supply fuel to Bushehr or not.

The fuel is closely controlled by IAEA and after use, according to the contract, it will be returned to Russia.

So, Iran will not be able to extract plutonium from that fuel. Russia will take the fuel away.

So, our country meets all of its international commitments.

To remind, on Dec 16 2007 Atomstroyexport CJSC started supplying fuel to the future Bushehr NPP in Iran.

A total of 163 basic and 17 reserve fuel assemblies (3.62% uranium-235 enrichment) are to be supplied to the site for the first fueling.
 
The deliveries are to be carried out in several stages for a total period of two months.

The first stage was finished on Dec 16 2007: containers sealed by IAEA experts were delivered to the site and placed in a special storage facility (guaranteed by IAEA).