国际英语新闻:Iran takes over control of Bushehr nuclear power plant

TEHRAN, Sept. 23 (Xinhua) -- Iran took over control of Bushehr nuclear power plant from Russia on Monday, the state-run IRIB TV reported.

Head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali-Akbar Salehi, Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian and the Russian contractor signed an agreement to put Iranian engineers in charge of the 1,000- megawatt power plant at a ceremony held at Bushehr plant in southern Iran.

Salehi said Monday that during the first two-year period, the Russian engineers will provide support to the Iranian technicians and two years later the plant will be completely handed over to the Iranians.

Construction of the Bushehr plant was started in 1975 by several German companies. However, the work was halted when the United States imposed an embargo on hi-tech supplies to Iran after the 1979 revolution. Russia signed a contract with Iran to complete the construction in 1998.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said on Monday that " fortunately, the trend of cooperation between Iran and Russia over the past decades has witnessed a rising motion and the Bushehr nuclear power plant can serve as a symbol for further bolstering of interaction," according to the IRIB TV.

Iran is the forerunner of possessing nuclear power plant in the Islamic world and its Bushehr power plant is "an example of peaceful use" of nuclear technology, he added.