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"On December 16, 2007, Atomstroiexport began delivery of the fuel for the initial installation at the future Bushehr power station," the state-run corporation said in a statement.

The delivery process will take up to two months to complete, Atomstroiexport said, with the Russian-built station starting to generate electricity in approximately six months.

The still-unfinished Bushehr is the jewel in the crown of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's nuclear power ambitions.

Iran confirmed the Russian shipment and in a fresh show of defiance toward the West, repeated that it would refuse UN demands to give up work on enriching uranium.

Israel and Western governments, led by the United States, have long argued that Iran's civilian programme is being used as cover for a bomb-making project.

Russia rejects this and Moscow's position was bolstered earlier this month when the US intelligence community contradicted the White House by reporting that Iran had stopped a drive for nuclear weapons in 2003.

Meanwhile, the Israeli daily Maariv reported over the weekend that a delegation left Israel for Washington last week "with the goal of proving to the Americans that the Iranian nuclear weapons programme is definitely still in development".

The Russian Foreign Ministry stressed in a statement that deliveries were made under control of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It added that spent fuel from Bushehr would be "returned to Russia for reprocessing and storage" - part of a plan to ensure that the fuel does not go astray.

IAEA officials monitored the sealing of the nuclear fuel two weeks ago at a factory in Novosibirsk ahead of the delivery.

The decision to send fuel - which in its current state is fit only for civilian use - marked a diplomatic victory for Russia, which has been building Bushehr since 1995.

"The Russian-Iranian cooperation on the Bushehr power station visibly demonstrates that one can effectively and reliably guarantee the realisation of national plans on developing the civilian atomic energy sector," the Foreign Ministry statement said.

In addition to rejecting US calls for the suspension of Bushehr, Moscow has also sold Iran anti-aircraft missiles and other high-tech weapons reportedly deployed by Iran's military in defence of nuclear installations.

Western powers, led by the United States, are pushing for a third UN sanctions resolution against Tehran to punish its refusal to suspend uranium enrichment - a process that could eventually lead to weapons-grade uranium.

Russia's delivery of fuel makes the possibility of passing further UN measures increasingly unlikely however, analysts said.

Photo   EPA

Vocabulary

to harbour, v: to keep an intention hidden from others.

jewel in the crown, n: accomplishment one is the proudest of; highest achievement.

ambition, n: goal that is very important for one to reach.

defiance, n: openly going against the wishes of an authority or somebody powerful.

to enrich (uranium), v: to increase its power (radioactivity).

cover, n: something that is used to hide a thing or an intention.

drive, n: great effort to achieve a specific aim.

to go astray, v: to get lost or diverted to a purpose not originally intended for.

civilian, adj: not military.

to deploy, v: to arrange in a position ready to use.

Questions

1. For what purpose is Iran importing nuclear fuel?

a. To fly to the moon.

b. To destroy countries.

c. For medical research.

d. To generate electricity.

2. What does Israel accuse Iran of?

a. Making bombs.

b. Inflating prices.

c. Leaking radiation.

d. Refusing payment.

3. Where does Iran get nuclear fuel from?

a. Israel.

b. China.

c. Russia.

d. America.

4. What else did Iran import from this country?

a. Food.

b. Weapons.

c. Consumer goods.

d. Electrical appliances.

5. What does IAEA stand for?

a. Israeli Atomic Energy Authority.

b. Iranian Atomic Effective Authority.

c. International Atomic Energy Agency.

d. International Agency Engineering Atoms.

Synonyms

Which of the following words or phrases replace the ones from the passage best?

1. Brush aside

a. Obey.

b. Value.

c. Ignore.

d. Consider.

2. Generate

a. Use.

b. Limit.

c. Divert.

d. Produce.

3. Approximately

a. About.

b. Exactly.

c. At least.

d. More than.

4. Bolster

a. Abuse.

b. Neglect.

c. Contradict.

d. Strengthen.

5. Spent

a. Lost

b. Sold

c. Used

d. Destroyed

KEY

Questions          1. d, 2.  a, 3. c, 4. b, 5. c

Synonyms          1. c, 2.  d, 3. a, 4. d, 5. c

By Ajarn Horst Baelz