国际英语新闻：Iran starts loading fuel to power plant, vows nuclear programs with "high speed"

BUSHEHR, Iran, Aug. 21 (Xinhua) -- After years of delay, Iran and Russia started on Saturday to load fuel rods to a reactor at Iran's first nuclear power plant, while Iran vowing to pursue its next "peaceful" nuclear programs with "high speed."

Sergei Kiriyenko, head of Russian state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom, and chief of Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Ali-Akbar Salehi attended a ceremony to initiate the transfer of the fuel to Bushehr power plant in southern Iran.

The fuel-loading operation by Iranian and Russian engineers was carried out under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

Bushehr power plant was a great and unique international project which was implemented by Russia, Kiriyenko said at a joint press conference after the ceremony.

Observing the safety issues at the power plant was of primary importance for Russia, Kiriyenko said. He implicitly rejected claims that Russia was responsible for the constant postponements of the plant launch.

Russia has always been committed to its international contracts and his country has also fulfilled its commitments to Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, Kiriyenko said, adding that after this stage of fuel loading, "we should witness power generation by the plant by the end of the year (2010)."

The construction of the nuclear plant began in 1975 by German companies, but was halted after the United States imposed embargo on hi-tech supplies to Iran following Iran's 1979 revolution. Russia signed a contract with Tehran in 1995 to complete the construction.

Bushehr power plant operates under the IAEA supervision and any country which performs under the supervision of IAEA has the right to peaceful nuclear energy, said Kiriyenko.

Asked about the cooperation for constructing further nuclear power plants in Iran, Kiriyenko said that "at the moment no talks over constructing other power plants is underway. We are now focusing on the project (of Bushehr power plant) at hand."

"Transparent cooperation with IAEA are important and if this point is observed, we will cooperate with Iran and other countries, " he added.

Meanwhile, Salehi hailed Iranians' resistance to Western sanctions, saying the startup of Bushehr power plant is an embodiment of Iran's steady persistence to achieve its legitimate goals.