"A supplement to the inter-governmental agreement on the return of spent nuclear fuel from the Bushehr nuclear plant to Russia has been prepared in full and meets all related international standards," Russian Nuclear Power Minister Alexander Rumyantsev said Wednesday.

He made the remarks after negotiations with visiting Iranian Vice President for Atomic Energy Qolam Reza Aqazadeh-Khoi, who arrived here Monday.

"Experts are checking the compliance with environmental safety, and once this work is over, the government will give instructions to sign the document," Rumyantsev said.

He recalled that Russia has an agreement with Iran on the first11 deliveries of nuclear fuel to the first unit of the Bushehr station. According to him, this amounts to about 5 tons of nuclearfuel. One nuclear unit requires 500 kilograms of fuel.

The Iranian vice-president told the press at the end of his working visit that nothing is preventing the shipment of spent nuclear fuel from Iran back to Russia, however, this issue "needs to be stipulated in a treaty between Russia and Iran."

"We hope that Russian nuclear fuel will be delivered to Iran in the near future," he said.

The two officials also agreed to put together "a detailed timetable" to make the Bushehr nuclear plant operational by fall.

Rumyantsev told the press that "work on the Bushehr station's first unit is nearly ready for launch," and "we have set up working groups to draw up the schedule".

The minister noted that the timetable "will include over 10,000 positions," and it will be put into action through a joint protocol.

Aqazadeh considered his meetings and discussions in Russia were "very useful", which will be "instrumental for bringing the construction of the Bushehr nuclear power station to completion".

Russia and Iran signed the contract in 1995 to jointly build the Bushehr nuclear plant. Under the contract, which has been revised for several times, construction on the first unit of the station should be completed by 2005.

(Xinhua News Agency July 3, 2003)