Iran's nuclear chief in Moscow, eyes nuclear power plant deal with Russia
Mohammad Eslami’s visit comes just a week after Russia’s energy minister was in Tehran, and a month after the CEO of Rosatom confirmed ongoing negotiations with Iran to build new nuclear plants in the country.
Iran’s top nuclear official arrived in Moscow on Monday to hold talks with his Russian counterparts and sign deals aimed at expanding nuclear cooperation, as the country faces an ongoing energy crisis and rising tensions over its nuclear program.
What happened: Mohammad Eslami, head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, arrived ahead of World Atomic Week — a three-day nuclear conference taking place in Moscow Sept. 25-28. Eslami and his delegation are slated to meet with Russian officials and visit several factories, as well as scientific and research institutions, according to IRNA, the official news agency of the Islamic Republic.
Upon his arrival, Eslami told reporters that Iran is set to ink a deal with Russia in the coming days to build new nuclear power plants in Iran.
“Given the expansion of cooperation with Russia, we will participate in the AtomExpo exhibition and related events [at World Atomic Week], including the signing of bilateral cooperation documents,” the AEOI chief said, according to IRNA.
