Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki said here Saturday that Iran's Atomic Energy Organization and Russia are in talks about completion of Bushehr nuclear power plant project.

"Russians have newly announced that they are firm in their resolve to end the project for construction and equipment of Bushehr nuclear power plant and we too count on the Russian officials' comments," said Mottaki in a joint press conference with his Ghanaian counterpart Akwasi Osei Adjei here on Saturday.

Asked about the meeting of Iranian diplomats, kidnapped in Iraq, with their families, Mottaki said, "In parallel with continued illegal detainment of our diplomats, diplomatic efforts are underway to that end with the Iraqi government and the UN."He said that unfortunately Americans have had repeated and pivotal mistakes in Iraq, one of which being the kidnappings that downgraded their status in Iraq to the point of hatred and resentment.

"Arrest of the energy ministry's engineers and technicians, who were visiting Iraq on an invitation by their Iraqi counterparts to look into certain venture projects, and their freedom and the occupiers' acknowledgement to their mistake in arresting the people all testify that their (the occupiers') measure have been based on false information."

He underlined that the US military commanders drop bombs and missiles on the oppressed Iraqi nation again based on false information.

Referring to the meeting of Iran's ambassador to Iraq Hassan Kazemi Qomi with the kidnapped diplomats, Mottaki said initial agreement has been reached to enable the abducted diplomats to meet their family. "Unfortunately the deal has not pointed to the meeting of all the diplomats with their families," he added.

Also asked on closure of al-Araqia TV office in Tehran, Mottaki said, "We welcome presence of all foreign media in Tehran. Of course there are rules governing activities of the media which should be observed. As for the TV network I do not have any exact information." He then pointed to vast grounds for expansion of Iran-Ghana relations and said a joint economic commission meeting will be held in December 2007 to look into ways to promote mutual cooperation.

Adjei for his part thanked Iran for letting Ghana open a representative office in its territory and said a permanent cooperation commission will soon be formed.

SOURCE: IRNA

DATE: September 03, 2007

Topics: NPP, Russia, Asia, Iran, NPP Bushehr