02.11.2007 // ITAR-TASS

First Vice Premier of Russia has convoked the governmental committee on industry, technologies and communications to discuss problems of nuclear energy and communications

Today, First Vice Premier of Russia Sergey Ivanov convoked the governmental committee on industry, technologies and communications to discuss problems of nuclear energy and communications.

The press service of Ivanov reports that there are three problems on the agenda: developing the nuclear power machinery construction, developing information and communication technologies and creating a single coordination and navigation system.

Recently, Ivanov visited a number of nuclear power machinery building companies in Podolsk with a view to examine the possibilities of enhancing the production of nuclear power equipment in order to back up the federal program for increasing the generation of nuclear energy in Russia and the foreign countries where our country is implementing a number of NPP construction projects. “In order to be able to implement this large-scale program, the industry should undergo serious reformation,” Ivanov said during the visit.

The President of the Russian Federation has instructed Rosatom to build 30 new nuclear power units in the coming 15–20 years – as many as in the Soviet times. In order to fulfill this task, the industry needs a vertically integrated structure. “That’s why we have decided to establish Atomenergoprom, a 100% state-owned holding supposed to consolidate all civil nuclear companies. Russia is ready to cooperate with foreign companies in the field of construction of peaceful nuclear power machinery on condition that it holds the controlling interest, hosts the production and controls the supply of the equipment,” Ivanov said.