Russia's Foreign Ministry is rejecting a call by the United States to halt construction of a nuclear power plant in Iran.

Russian Foreign Ministry spokesman Mikhail Kamynin said Thursday that every country has a right to decide for itself how and with whom it cooperates.

Kamynin was responding to a call Wednesday by U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns for countries to end all nuclear cooperation with Iran.

In Moscow for talks on Iran, Burns said the Tehran government should be denied any technology that could help its nuclear program, including work on the plant Russia is building near the southwestern Iranian city of Bushehr.

Russian atomic energy chief Sergei Kiriyenko also defended the Bushehr project.  He said Russia's work in building the $800 million plant is in full compliance with the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Kiriyenko also said the international uproar over Iran's nuclear program should be resolved peacefully.

Washington alleges Iran is seeking to build an atomic bomb, but Tehran insists it is seeking nuclear power to generate electricity.