Russian Atomic Energy Minister Alexander Rumyantsev is expected to travel to Iran Dec. 22 to sign an agreement ensuring that Tehran will return spent fuel from the Bushehr nuclear reactor to Russia (see GSN, Sept. 20).  The return of the spent fuel has been “a mandatory condition” for Russia’s assistance with the reactor, he said today in an interview with ITAR-Tass.

Rumyantsev said that during the visit he also plans to discuss accelerating construction of the Bushehr plant (see GSN, Sept. 4).  Originally, planners had expected to begin operations by 2005, but Russian specialists have said that the facility could be operable as soon as late 2003, according to the Islamic Republic News Agency.  Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency Mohamed ElBaradei is expected to conduct a “guest inspection” of the Bushehr plant this month, Rumyantsev said (Islamic Republic News Agency, Dec. 16).

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