December 01, 2007	Saturday	Ziqa’ad 20, 1428

MOSCOW, Nov 30: UN nuclear officials on Friday completed five days of inspections of the first consignment of Russian fuel for Iran’s nuclear power plant at Bushehr, a statement from the fuel factory said.

Russian officials sealed the containers of nuclear fuel in the presence of a team from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, said a statement from the TVEL defence factory in Novossibirsk.

“IAEA inspectors, representatives of the Federal Atomic Energy Agency and the Iranian clients... witnessed the preparation of the nuclear fuel,” it said.

Interfax news agency quoted foreign ministry sources as saying that Iranian Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari will travel to Moscow on Dec 13 and 14 for talks that will touch on the Bushehr plant.

Iran’s top nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili may also travel to Moscow in the coming weeks for talks, according to RIA Novosti news agency.

Iran earlier this month said that Russia was ready to deliver the first consignment of fuel for the power plant at Bushehr on Iran’s Gulf coast.

The plant is due to become a cornerstone of Iran’s nuclear programme.—AFP