On Monday, Iran held the official opening ceremony of the first power plant near the southern port city of Bushehr, which building was finished after long delay with Russia's help.

      Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko and head of the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom) Sergei Kiriyenko attended the ceremony.

      The Russian-built power station is “a symbol of Iranian- Russian cooperation,” Sergei Shmatko, said.

      The 1,000-megawatt plant will start generating electricity at up to 40% capacity under the supervision of Russian experts, Iranian Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi said. It will reach full capacity by the end of the year.

      “The good experience we’ve had with Russia encourages us to have greater cooperation and we welcome all proposals that maintain the two countries’ interests,” the head of Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, Fereydoun Abbasi, said.

      The construction of the Bushehr's nuclear plant was started in 1974 by Germany's largest engineering company, Siemens AG, but after the Islamic Revolution in 1979 all German companies quit the country. Russia took over the work in 1995, after signing a $1 billion contract. Now Russia is supplying fuel for the Bushehr reactor and will take away the used material.

Sources: RIA Novosti The Moscow News