Azerbaijani customs services not allowing Russian equipment, intended for atomic power plant construction, to pass to Iran

Interfax reports with reference to the customs bodies of Russia that the train load of thermo-insulating equipment, produced by Russia for Busher atomic power plant, is being detained on the Azerbaijan-Iranian border for already three weeks.

Azerbaijani frontier guards detained the train in the area of customs control of the border point "Astara" on March 29 of 2008 saying their administration prohibited them to allow the cargo to pass the border.

The cargo passed the procedure of export control and can not be imposed a sanction of the UN resolution regarding Iran (Busher atomic power plant is an official exception), however, according to the source, the Azerbaijani authorities hinder the supply of equipment, necessary for completion of the construction.

"The said fact will obviously affect the terms of Russia's execution of commitments on the intergovernmental agreement with Iran on cooperation in the sphere of peaceful use of atomic energy", said the source.

/Vesti/