Tehran, Moscow negotiates on development of small-scale reactors

Pars Today - A delegation from the Russian company Rosatom met with officials from the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) and held discussions and exchanged views on various topics, especially in the field of small-scale reactors.

According to Pars Today, citing the IRIB news agency, a Russian delegation headed by Nikolay Spasskiy, the International Deputy of the state-owned company Rosatom, traveled to Tehran on Wednesday. Extensive negotiations were held with officials from the AEOI on various nuclear fields, including the development of cooperation in the field of small-scale reactors and the construction of 1250-megawatt power reactors.

This follows last week's trip by Mohammad Eslami, Iran's Vice President and Head of the AEOI, to Russia and his meetings with senior officials of that country. Two cooperation documents were signed in the field of small-scale reactors (SMRs) and the Iran-Hormoz nuclear power plant project, which includes four 1250-megawatt reactors with a value of approximately $25 billion. These projects hold a special strategic and economic position in bilateral cooperation.

Following these agreements, a delegation from Rosatom met with AEOI officials and discussed and exchanged views on various axes, especially in the field of small-scale reactors and 1250-megawatt power reactors. The new agreements pave the way for further expansion of joint cooperation, especially in the design and construction of advanced reactors, more than ever before.

During this trip, Spasskiy also met and held talks with Mohammad Eslami. While reviewing the progress of current cooperation in the nuclear field, the two sides emphasized the necessity of accelerating the implementation of joint projects. It was also decided that Alexey Likhachev, the CEO of the state-owned company Rosatom, will travel to Iran in the near future. In addition to following up on the agreed-upon issues, he will closely observe the progress of the construction of units 2 and 3 of the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Recently, the Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Agreement between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Russia became effective after being approved by the Russian State Duma. Based on this agreement, the two countries will have extensive and long-term cooperation in strategic fields. Article 23 of this agreement is specifically dedicated to cooperation in the field of nuclear reactors. Based on this article, relying on their strategic relations, the two countries will pursue a comprehensive program for the development of nuclear technology and the peaceful use of atomic energy.