Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ramin Mehmanparast said Tuesday that Iran hopes to put the Bushehr nuclear power plant in operation by the end of August.
The construction of the plant has almost completed and it is currently in the testing stage, said the spokesman.
Talking to the reporters in his weekly press conference, he said Iran will officially celebrate the occasion.
Iranian and Russian officials are currently negotiating the date for the launch of the power plant, Mehmanparast said.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said Thursday that Russia was awaiting Iran's decision on the launch date for the Bushehr nuclear power plant.
The spokesman said Bushehr would start operating "in the nearest future," but the exact date of the launch was still unclear.
In June, Russian Foreign Ministry said Bushehr would become operational in early August. Preparations for the launch have progressed according to the plan.
Construction of the Bushehr plant began in 1975 by several German companies. However, work halted when the United States imposed an embargo of hi-tech supplies on Iran after the 1979 revolution. Russia signed a contract with Iran to complete the construction in 1998.
Completion of the plant's construction has been postponed several times due to technical and financial challenges and pressure from the United States.
