Iran Looking into Bulgaria's Nuclear Offer

Iranian Vice President and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran Ali Akbar Salehi is seen during his meeting with Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in Budapest, Hungary,

The chair of Iran's atomic energy agency has made clear his country is exploring a proposal from Bulgaria, which wants to resell unused equipment "at a good price".

His country does not intend to purchase "used" nuclear reactors from Bulgaria, but the proposal refers to the nuclear plant equipment that has already been built by Atomstroyexport, Rosatom's exports arm.

Mehr News Agency quotes him as saying that the Belene nuclear plant project was cancelled by Bulgaria "due to financial crisis."

"This claim is completely false since nuclear reactors cannot become ‘second-hand’ to begin with," he has added in response to rumors that Tehran considers taking used nuclear reactors.

Iran is currently working to expand its nuclear plant in Bushehr, a project it is working on with Russia.

The country has not yet officially refused to purchase the Bulgarian reactor.

Bulgaria, on the other hand, will receive the equipment and reactor built by Atomstroyexport in return for paying EUR 550 M - the sum determined by a court of arbitration in June.

Since being informed of the ruling, Sofia has been looking for a "third country" that could buy the equipment it does not need, referring mostly to Iran and India.

A visit of a Bulgarian delegation to Tehran last week included talks on a possible deal, with no concrete agreement reached.

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