Iran, Russia to expand cooperation on nuclear power development

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Agencies
18 Jan 2025 23:47

This partnership builds on past collaborations, such as Russia’s role in constructing the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

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Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation Director General Alexey Likhachev attends the talks with International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi in Kaliningrad, Russia, Tuesday, May 28, 2024 (Alexandr Podgorchuk/Rosatom State Atomic Energy Corporation via AP)

Russia and Iran are set to expand their nuclear energy collaboration, with plans to build new small-scale and large-scale nuclear power plants. The announcement came from Alexey Likhachev, Director General of Rosatom, during Iran-Russia negotiations on January 17, 2025.

Likhachev stated, "Our Iranian partners called for the development of bilateral ties in the field of building small scale nuclear power plants and building a new site for large scale power plants." He also confirmed that talks on constructing another large-scale plant will begin soon.

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Russian President Vladimir Putin reaffirmed their commitment to these projects as part of a 20-year strategic partnership treaty. During their meeting on Friday, Pezeshkian told Putin that the two countries are ready to finalize nuclear plant agreements. The treaty also focuses on closer collaboration in energy and defense.

This partnership builds on past collaborations, such as Russia’s role in constructing the Bushehr nuclear power plant. The new projects aim to expand Iran’s energy infrastructure with Russian expertise, including small modular reactors to diversify energy production.