Russia: "Bushehr to start up on August 21..."

"...Russia will begin to load fuel into the reactor at Iran's Bushehr nuclear power station on August 21, a spokesman for Russia's state atomic corporation said on Friday.The spokesman said that loading the reactor with fuel would be a key step towards starting up the reactor at the Islamic Republic's first nuclear power plant, though the reactor would not be considered operational from that date.

"The fuel will be loaded on Aug 21," Rosatom spokesmen Sergei Novikov said by telephone. "This is the start of the physical launch (of the reactor)."According to the Interfax agency, Novikov will be travel to Iran on that date in order to attend a ceremony marking the arrival of the fuel.

ITAR-TASS news agency reported earlier that the reactor would be started up on August 21, citing a statement posted on the website operated by Russia's state nuclear corporation. ..."