Iran to officially launch Bushehr nuke plant within hoursSeptember 12, 2011 - 13:27 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Iran will officially launch Bushehr nuclear power plant within hours, ending the countdown for the inauguration of the first atomic plant in the country, Press TV reported. The nuclear power plant is expected to be launched later on Monday, September 12. In a joint press conference in the capital Tehran on Sunday, Iran's Foreign Minister Ali Akbar Salehi and Russian Energy Minister Sergei Shmatko both reassured the international community on the safety of the Bushehr power plant. “It has always been said that Iran is a member of the [Nuclear] Non-Proliferation Treaty [NPT]. Iran is committed to all the international commitments existing within the framework of the NPT and the [International Atomic Energy Agency] IAEA's charter,” Salehi said. The Russian energy minister, for his part, said that the plant meets all the international standards. “The Bushehr nuclear power plant has been built, meeting all the international standards and under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency,” Shmatko said. Top stories Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev arrived in Moscow on April 22 to hold talks with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin. Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". Partner news | Armenian, Iranian foreigh policy chief talk over the phone The Foreign Minister of Armenia once again expressed condolences to his counterpart on the death of the President of Iran. Armenia, U.S. customs authorities to boost assistance with new deal The government has approved an agreement with the U.S. government on mutual assistance between the customs authorities. Armenian government besieged by protesters Protesters led by Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan poured into Yerevan’s Republic Square to try to surround the seat of Armenia’s government. Armenia, Russia agree on repairing railway destroyed in floods Yerevan and Moscow have agreed to repair a flood-stricken railway in northern Armenia. |