MOSCOW, June 23. /TASS/. Russia has always been Iran’s partner in the area of peaceful nuclear development, having played a positive role in talks on Tehran’s nuclear program, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
"In the area of Iran’s nuclear program Russia has always been a partner for us, having built the Bushehr nuclear power plant. In the area of reaching nuclear agreements Russia has played a positive role," he said at talks in the Kremlin.
The construction of a nuclear power plant near the city of Bushehr in southern Iran was launched in 1975 by a West German concern, but was interrupted in 1979 after the Islamic Revolution broke out. On August 25, 1992, Russia and Iran signed an agreement to resume the construction of the plant. In September 2011, the first power unit was connected to the grid, and was officially handed over to Iran in September 2013.
In November 2014, a contract was signed for the construction of the second stage of the NPP - the second and third VVER-1000 power units. The cost of their construction stands at about $10 billion. The groundbreaking ceremony took place in September 2016, and construction began on November 10, 2019. The second and third power units are expected to be put into operation in 2025 and 2027, respectively.