Russia Set to Build Nuclear Power Plants in Iran

Russia will begin building "two nuclear power plants" in Iran next week, a senior Iranian atomic energy official was quoted as saying on Tuesday. Last year Russia clinched a deal with Iran to build an additional two reactors at Bushehr, where the Islamic country's first civilian nuclear power plant was built with Russian help. Meanwhile, Russia's Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said Tuesday that his country was considering lending 5 billion dollars to Iran next year, possibly as part of a larger free-trade deal between the two countries. Preliminary documents for lending 5 billion dollars to Iran via an intergovernmental export credit were signed during Russian President Vladimir Putin's visit to Tehran in late November.