- Sputnik International
Russia
The latest news and stories from Russia. Stay tuned for updates and breaking news on defense, politics, economy and more.

Putin, Bush order start of talks on peaceful nuclear energy deal - 2

Subscribe
(Adds paragraphs 5-8)

STRELNA (near St. Petersburg), July 15 (RIA Novosti) - The presidents of Russia and the United States instructed their governments Saturday to begin talks on a cooperation agreement for the peaceful use of nuclear energy.

Vladimir Putin and George W. Bush said in a joint statement in advance of the Group of Eight summit that they intended to develop cooperation based on national interests, common goals, and trade advantages in the civilian nuclear industry.

Russia's nuclear chief, Sergei Kiriyenko, said Saturday the first international uranium enrichment center would be established in Angarsk, in southeast Siberia's Irkutsk Region, and that Russian and U.S. experts had already started combining Russia's proposal for creating a network of international uranium enrichment centers, and the U.S. initiative on global partnership in the nuclear sphere.

Kiriyenko also said Russia and the United States were not planning to prolong their HEU-LEU program for converting high-enriched uranium into low-enriched uranium beyond 2013, but that Russia would comply with all its obligations under the program.

He added that in hindsight, he did not think the Russian side should have agreed to sell low-enriched uranium to the U.S. through a go-between monopoly.

Under the HEU-LEU program, Russia is allowed to operate on the U.S. market without a 116% import duty only through the United States Enrichment Corporation (USEC), a special intermediary agent, but is facing anti-dumping procedures.

Asked whether talks with U.S. negotiators in late July were likely to produce a breakthrough on the anti-dumping issue, Kiriyenko said: "Of course not. We wish it could, but there is a long way to go. There are no quick fixes."

He said the issue would take two or three years to resolve through courts, or a year through negotiations, but that the Russian side would try to have the restrictions lifted by 2010. By this date, contracts for uranium supply beyond 2013 are to be signed, he said.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала