"The building of the Bushehr nuclear power station does not threaten the non-proliferation regime," Rosatom nuclear agency head Sergei Kiriyenko told journalists in the Kyrgyz capital Bishkek.

Kiriyenko also said that the international crisis over Iran's push for a nuclear power capability -- suspected in the West to be masking a nuclear weapons programme -- could be resolved peacefully.

"We are convinced that a solution can be reached through diplomacy," Kiriyenko said.

However, US Under Secretary of State Nicholas Burns said during a visit to Moscow Thursday that "it is important for countries to stop cooperation with Iran on nuclear issues, even on civilian nuclear issues like the Bushehr facility."

Burns made clear that he was talking about various countries' work with Iran's nuclear industry. However, Russia is Iran's biggest nuclear partner and is building the country's first atomic power station at Bushehr.

"A number of countries are continuing to permit the export of dual-use materials that could be used, and we think in some cases are being used, to help the growth of Iran's nuclear industry," Burns said.

"It is the view of my government that it would be appropriate now for those individual governments to stop that practice and no longer permit it."

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