BAGHDAD – Iranian Minister of Energy Parviz Fattah, Turkish Energy and Natural Resources Minister Taner Yildiz, and Iraqi Minister of Electricity Kareem Waheed al-Aboudi inked an MOU on Wednesday at the end of their first regional power conference held in Baghdad.

According to the MOU, the three countries agreed to bolster cooperation in the power and electricity field and link their national power grids to one another and Syria, IRNA reported on Wednesday.
The Iraqi minister stated the four countries aimed at connecting their power networks to the Persian Gulf littoral states, the Central Asian nations, and to European countries in the long run.
According to Fattah Iran has already linked its power networks with Azerbaijan, Armenia and Turkmenistan.
The next meeting in this regard will be held in Ankara six months from now and will be attended by Iranian, Turkish, Iraqi and Syrian energy ministers.
------- Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant operational next year: Fattah
Minister of Energy Parviz Fattah said in Baghdad on Thursday that Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant will generate electricity in the next Iranian calendar year (to begin March 21, 2010).
Fattah said energy consumption this year has shown a growth of six percent in Iran.
Iran has been able to turn into a major power producer and exporter by relying on domestic potential, Fattah said