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ST. PETERSBURG, June 20 (Xinhua) — Despite the complex situation surrounding Iran, Russia remains committed to the Bushehr nuclear reactor project, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Friday at the plenary session of the 28th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum.
“Despite the complexity surrounding Iran, we completed the Bushehr nuclear reactor there. We’ve also signed contracts to build two additional reactors,” Putin said.
U.S. President Donald Trump promised to support Russia’s demand to ensure the safety of Russian employees of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Putin said, adding that Russia acts within the framework of international norms in Iran and asks to ensure the safety of personnel in Bushehr.
“Our specialists are on the ground in Bushehr — 250 based there full-time and others on temporary deployment. The total workforce can hit 600. And we’re not pulling out,” Putin said during a meeting with the heads of major international news agencies in St. Petersburg.
Putin also said that he is concerned about the situation around Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Threats to Iran’s nuclear facilities require Russia to participate in the search for peaceful solutions, Putin added.
In a Friday briefing at an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi warned of the risk of nuclear contamination from Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities.
Grossi said that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is an operating nuclear power plant, which hosts thousands of kilograms of nuclear material. “I want to make it absolutely and completely clear: In case of an attack on the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, a direct hit could result in a very high release of radioactivity to the environment.”
