Russian specialists are completing the construction of Iran's first NPP under a $1 billion contract signed in 1995, but Russia claimed last month that Iran had an unpaid debt for its construction services, and said that as a result construction might take longer than previously expected.
"As for financial issues related to the construction of the Bushehr NPP between Iran's Atomic Energy Agency and a Russian contractor, Iranian payments have been made ahead of schedule," Manouchehr Mottaki said.
He said the construction was almost complete and that suspending or freezing it was out of the question.
"We hope that Russia will resolve all remaining technical issues under its contract obligations, especially those related to cooling systems," the minister said. "And the plant will be ready for operation as soon as the nuclear fuel is delivered."
Atomstroyexport, the contractor for the NPP project, said in February that Tehran had not made payments for the $1 billion NPP project in over a month and had an outstanding debt from previous payment periods.
The Bushehr facility has been a source of international dispute, with the United States and other Western countries raising concerns that Iran could use the project as part of a covert weapons program. Iran has consistently denied that its nuclear program has military goals.
The UN Security Council adopted a resolution in December imposing sanctions against Iran.
Russia, a key economic partner of Iran, has consistently supported the Islamic Republic's right to nuclear power under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and has resisted the imposition of harsh sanctions.
