TEHRAN, May 29. /ITAR-TASS/. Iran and Russia have agreed to continue nuclear cooperation, the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) says.

The AEOI spokesperson Behrouz Kamalvandi made a statement to this effect on Thursday.

“Iran and Russia have decided to build two more nuclear power plants in Bushehr,” he said.

The capacity of each facility will reach 1,000 MW, Kamalvandi added.

According to Iranian officials, the construction of two units may start this year.

Russia and Iran reached a preliminary agreement on the project on March 12.

The Bushehr nuclear power plant is the first nuclear facility not only in Iran but also in the Middle East. With a capacity of 1,000 MW the plant is located 18 kilometers from the city of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf.

The Bushehr nuclear power plant has never been subject to international sanctions. The plant was built under the control of the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency). The agreements of February 27, 2005 require Iran to return spent fuel to Russia.