Dear colleagues,

On behalf of the Ministry of Energy of the Russian Federation and on behalf of myself personally I congratulate all participants of Bushehr NPP construction with commencement of the first criticality of the nuclear power plant, which means the completion of the test stage for all systems of the nuclear power unit constructed by Russian specialists.

Bushehr NPP is a unique facility having no analogues in the world. Russian Atomstroyexport and its contractors successfully completed construction of the power unit, which construction was started more than 30 years ago by German companies.

Russian atomic specialists have always had grate authority with the world nuclear society. Successful implementation of Bushehr NPP project, with technological and layout solutions which are complicated for execution, once again demonstrates leading positions of Russian atomic industry in the world market.

Bushehr NPP construction was carried out in conditions of constant attention on the part of IAEA, WANO and the professional association of atomic specialists. Successful completion of this project, no doubt, will become one of the most famous pages of peaceful atom history.

The Russian Federation and the Islamic Republic of Iran traditionally cooperate in the power engineering field. Bushehr NPP start-up will become one more sufficient milestone in the development of Russian-Iranian trusting relationships on the basis of practical, particular results of our many years’ cooperation.

I would like to express sincere gratitude to Russian atomic specialists and to all those, who participated in the implementation of this unique project!

Minister of Energy of the Russian Federation

Sergey Shmatk