Tehran-Russian Energy Minister Sergey Shmatko arrived in Tehran on Sunday to discuss the latest developments over the joint nuclear power plant of Bushehr - and visit the site in the southern Iranian Persian Gulf island, ISNA news agency reported. Shmatko is to meet Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki and the head of the country's Atomic Organization, Ali-Akbar Salehi on Sunday and inspect the Bushehr site, together with Salehi, on Monday.
The Bushehr plant was scheduled to be finished by the end of 2009 but Shmatko announced earlier this month that completion would be delayed again.
There is growing scepticism among Iranian officials of Russian promises, as the 1000-megawatt unit was originally scheduled to be completed at the beginning of the millennium, but has been delayed at least five times.
Iran's has tolerated past Russian delays because it had no potential partners other than Russia, not least due to Western opposition to Iranian nuclear programmes.
Despite concern in the West over Iran's nuclear programmes, the light-water project in Bushehr is internationally tolerated due to Russia's involvement and guarantees that nuclear fuel for the plant will be delivered from and nuclear waste returned to Russia.
