Tehran is seeking Russia's cooperation for construction of more nuclear power plants in Iran, the semi-official Mehr news agency reported on Monday.

"Iran plans to sign contracts with Russia on the construction of more nuclear power plants after the Bushehr power plant project is completed," Iran's Ambassador to Russia Gholamreza Ansari was quoted as saying.

Ansari said that Tehran had assured Moscow it would start work on other nuclear power plants with Russia after the completion of the Bushehr plant, Iran's first nuclear power plant being built with Russia's aids in the southern coastal province of Bushehr.

The ambassador also defined the nuclear cooperation between the two countries as "brief but promising", stressing that the cooperation could be expanded.

Meanwhile, Ansari noted that both Iran and Russia were determined to develop and deepen the bilateral ties, saying "bilateral talks have always been based on mutual understanding of the countries' needs and priorities. Iran and Russia hold same views on major regional and international issues."

Additionally, Deputy Head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization Mohammad Saeedi said on Sept. 10 that Iran had decided to offer an international tender for the planned construction of two new nuclear power plants in the near future.

Apart from the aids on construction of the Bushehr plant, Russia also gave Iran support on the nuclear dispute by urging to resolve Iran's case within the framework of the International Atomic Energy Agency, namely opposing the attempt of Washington and Europe to refer the file to the UN Security Council.

The United States accuses Iran of developing nuclear weapons secretly, but Iran has categorically rejected the charge and said that it will forge ahead with its nuclear program instead of giving up its legal rights on peaceful nuclear technology under the pressure.

(Xinhua News Agency October 11, 2005)