Tehran said on Saturday there were no obstacles to Russia delivering fuel for Iran's first nuclear power plant, although the Russian contractor signalled likely delays to the project.
"There are no financial, legal or technical obstacles to delivering the fuel," the semi-official Mehr news agency quoted Mohammad Saidi, deputy head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organisation, as saying. "We hope the Russian government delivers the fuel for the plant to Iran by the end of March 2007," he added.
Saidi met executives from Russian contractor Atomstroiexport earlier this week in Moscow in an effort to resolve what Moscow has called a financial dispute over construction of the much-delayed Bushehr station in southern Iran.
He denied reports that the Moscow meeting had failed after the talks ended without agreement. New negotiations are due to take place next week in Tehran. "Our discussions will continue in Tehran and we will offer suggestions," Saidi said.
Under a Tehran-Moscow deal reached last September, Russia was to deliver nuclear fuel to Iran in March, the power station would begin working in September and it would start producing energy in November.
Iran has vehemently denied charges by Western powers that its nuclear programme is covertly military, saying it is peaceful and aimed at generating electricity. But permanent UN Security Council members the United States, Britain, China, France and Russia plus Germany are discussing possible new sanctions against Iran, which would tighten measures that were adopted in December.
Those sanctions were imposed after Tehran refused to freeze its uranium enrichment programme which, in addition to producing fuel for nuclear power stations can also supply material to make atomic bombs.
On Friday, Russia expressed fresh reservations about tightening sanctions against Iran. Vitaly Churkin, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations, told reporters in New York that he thought an agreement could be reached next week. But he added that "for us the substance is more important than the speed." The United States has urged Russia to suspend construction of the Bushehr facility.