Russia: Azerbaijan stops cargo for Iran atomic plant

MOSCOW (Reuters) - Azeri customs and border officials have halted a cargo of Russian heat insulators destined for Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, Russian officials said on Monday.

The cargo was detained at Astara, on the border between Azerbaijan and Iran, on March 29 and has not been released yet, the officials said.

"Azeri border guards, citing an order from their bosses, have detained our road convoy for the Bushehr plant in the customs control area," said Irina Yesipova, a spokeswoman for Atomstroiexport, which is building the plant.

"We are trying to influence the situation and responding to numerous inquiries from the Azeri customs and border guards despite the fact that the cargo sent to the Bushehr atomic power plant had earlier gone through all export control procedures."

She said the negotiations had made no progress so far and that Iran was also involved in the negotiations.

Russia has already finished delivering nuclear fuel to Bushehr, the Islamic Republic's first atomic power plant.

(Reporting by Dmitry Solovyov in Moscow and Lada Yevgrashina in Baku, writing by Guy Faulconbridge, editing by Giles Elgood)