Putin, Iranian president discuss nuclear plant

Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Monday pledged in a phone talk to speed up the construction of Iran's first nuclear-energy plant and military technology cooperation.

"Putin and Ahmadinejad discussed various aspects of trade and economic interaction between the two countries as well as energy cooperation, including atomic energy," Itar-Tass quoted the government press service as saying.

"In this context, both sides emphasized the need for timely construction of the Bushehr nuclear power plant," it said.

"Among other topics, Putin and Ahmadinejad also discussed issues pertaining to bilateral cooperation in the field of transport and military technical cooperation," the press service said.

Russia is helping Iran to build the Bushehr nuclear energy plant which was expected to launch early this year, but its operation was postponed for several months due to disputes on payment.

(Source: China Daily)