27 May 2004 13:10
Agreement signed on US funding for return of fuel from Russian-made reactors
Moscow, 27 May: Nuclear fuel from all foreign research reactors built to Russian designs is to be returned to Russia
with the financial support of the USA. "An intergovernmental agreement on this was signed today by Russian Atomic
Energy Minister Aleksandr Rumyantsev and US Energy Secretary Spencer Abraham," ITAR-TASS was told today by the
official spokesman for the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry, Nikolay Shingarev. "Over a period of several years,
nuclear fuel from 17 reactors in the CIS, Eastern Europe and South-East Asia will be removed for storage in Russia.
Under this agreement, the USA undertakes to cover the bulk of the costs of returning the fuel," he said.
"Implementing this agreement will help to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and stop nuclear
materials falling into the hands of international terrorists", the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry spokesman
said.
[More than 862 kg of enriched uranium has already been returned to Russia from the former Yugoslavia, Romania,
Bulgaria and Serbia, ITAR-TASS later reported (1032 gmt).]
[ITAR-TASS news agency] |
RUSSIA IN FACTS
