TEHRAN, October 16 (RIA Novosti) - Russia will complete Iran's first nuclear power plant in Bushehr on schedule, the countries' presidents said in a statement on Tuesday, while pledging commitment to the non-proliferation regime.
Reassurances on the Bushehr NPP come repeated delays to the completion of the plant, which Russia has attributed to payment arrears. Iran earlier in the year accused Moscow of yielding to Western pressure over the plant.
Vladimir Putin and Mahmoud Ahmadinejad also said in their statement, released after bilateral talks in Tehran, that all disputes between Caspian littoral states should be resolved peacefully, and ruled out third countries' military presence in the Caspian region, reiterating a declaration adopted at a Caspian summit earlier on Tuesday.
Putin's visit to Iran, the first by a Russian or Soviet leader since 1943, and statements come amid a standoff between Western states and the Islamic Republic, which is accused of developing nuclear weapons. Tehran has denied the charge. The United States has urged a new, tougher, set of sanctions on Iran, and has refused to rule out a military operation against the regime.
During the talks, Putin invited his Iranian counterpart to visit Russia, saying the date of the visit was to be coordinated through diplomatic channels.
