Russia's Federal Agency of Atomic Energy chief Sergei Kiriyenko met with Iran's Atomic Energy Organization chief Gholamreza Aghazadeh in Moscow on Monday to discuss the building of a nuclear power plant in Iran, Russian news agencies reported.

Aghazadeh, also Iran's vice president, said at the start of the meeting that the negotiations "will largely address issues related to the completion of the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant."

Other matters on the agenda of Russian-Iranian cooperation would be discussed as well, he was quoted by the Interfax news agency as saying.

Earlier, Kiriyenko had said that under the effective schedule, the Bushehr nuclear power plant would be commissioned to Iran in September 2007 and would start supplying electricity to the power grid in November 2007.

"The construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant has nothing to do with the Iranian nuclear program under consideration," the Itar-Tass news agency quoted Kiriyenko as saying.

"The Bushehr is being built in keeping with the schedule and under IAEA control. There are no enrichment risks on the nuclear power plant premises or the use of nuclear materials for non-peaceful purposes," he said.

"It is obvious to all professionals and experts that Russian specialists are building a peaceful atomic energy facility in Bushehr," Kiriyenko added.

The Bushehr plant in Iran is being constructed by the Russian company Atomstroiexport under a 1995 contract. The construction of the plant was started by Germany's Siemens in the 1970s, but the project was suspended. Russia is due to make the first delivery of nuclear fuel for the station early next year, provisionally scheduled for March.

(Xinhua News Agency September 26, 2006)