photo: ISNA

"We have signed a confidential protocol, recording a schedule of fuel deliveries for the Bushehr nuclear power plant," Rumyantsev told reporters.

"Since the protocol is confidential, I can only say that the order and schedule of deliveries is in full conformity with the technological process of building the station," he emphasized.

Gholam Reza Aqazadeh added that 'the document is secret, but it records periods of deliveries'.

photo: ISNA

Besides, the two statesmen signed another two documents in Bushehr on Sunday: an Intergovernmental Protocol on a return of worked-out nuclear fuel and changes to the fuel contract.

"Today, a very important development occurred, and that was the protocol on returning nuclear fuel, which we signed together. In the next few weeks, many Russian technicians will arrive in Bushehr to speed up the assembly operation" to finish the plant, Rumyantsev told a press conference with Aqazadeh, according to the Associated Press.

Under the deal, Russia will ship enriched uranium fuel to the plant, with Iran repatriating all spent nuclear fuel to Russia, a requirement aimed at allaying US concerns.

Washington has expressed fears that Iran may use the spent fuel, which could be reprocessed into weapons-grade plutonium, to develop nuclear arms.

At a meeting between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US President George W. Bush in Slovakia on Thursday, both sides agreed Iran should not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons. Putin said he believed Iran had no intention of doing so.

Iran has maintained its nuclear program is entirely for peaceful purposes, while the United States accuses it of secretly pursuing a nuclear weapons program.