15.01.2007 // Press service of Federal Agency of Nuclear Energy

High-level Working Group has drafted a regular nuclear safety report for the Russian and US presidents’ consideration

The co-chairmen of the inter-department high-level working group on nuclear safety cooperation, the head of the Federal Agency of Nuclear Energy (Rosatom) Sergey Kiriyenko and US Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman have drafted the 4th report joint report for the Russian and US presidents’ consideration.

The co-chairmen are satisfied with their cooperation in the sphere. All the planned measures, particularly, those specified by the control lists of the presidents, are being successfully implemented.

The second half of 2006 saw large-scale operations for the return of Russian-made highly enriched nuclear materials from Central Europe to Russia for their further processing into nuclear fuel for NPPs. The abstractive use of a big amount of highly enriched uranium fuel demonstrates practical steps by both countries for strengthening the regime of nonproliferation and prevention of the use of nuclear materials by terrorists.

The cooperation with the US on nuclear emergency prevention and nuclear safety culture reflected in the report is carried out on the basis of high technologies that can be used for detecting highly explosive and fissile materials.

The last report reflects the progress achieved in the last six months in recording, controlling and physically protecting nuclear materials.

The Russian-US cooperation in the framework of the Bratislava initiative is crucial for safety in Russia and the US, in particular, and in the world, in general. Both countries will seek to develop their cooperation. The co-chairmen will inform the presidents of the progress achieved under the project. The next report will be submitted in June 2007.

Note:

During their meeting in Bratislava in Feb 2005 Presidents Vladimir Putin and George Bush instructed their governments to take measures to protect nuclear weapons and fissile materials with a view to prevent their use by terrorists. The special inter-department high-level working group was instructed to coordinate joint activities in this direction and to report to the presidents on its work each half year.