Iranian Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki met with Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of the state nuclear agency Rosatom, in Moscow on Wednesday as the Islamic republic tries to salvage the stalled construction of its first atomic power station.

His visit comes as Iran is fighting to get the Bushehr nuclear power station project back on track after a series of delays in the final stages of construction.

Russia started work on the plant in 1995 but completion has been delayed amid Russian complaints that Tehran is not paying on time and Iranian accusations that the United States wants to derail the whole project.

The plant is a cornerstone of Iran's controversial nuclear program, which Tehran insists is solely aimed at providing electricity for a growing population but which the United States says masks an atomic weapons drive.

Despite the problems, Iran is now insisting that Russia is committed to finishing the plant and providing the required nuclear fuel as outlined in previous agreements.