- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

UPDATE: Russia says ready to help build N.Korea's nuclear plant

Subscribe

MOSCOW, September 22 (RIA Novosti) - Russia, whose annual nuclear exports total $3.5 billion, said Thursday it was ready to contribute to the construction of a nuclear power plant in North Korea and expand its cooperation with Iran.

The head of the Federal Agency for Nuclear Power, Alexander Rumyantsev, lauded the progress at the six-nation talks on North Korea's nuclear problem.

"If Korea is really resuming cooperation with the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] and joining the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty, there will be no obstacles for nuclear cooperation with Korea," he said. "If all the political issues are resolved, we are ready to take up this work."

Russia takes part in six-nation talks on the North Korean nuclear issue. The latest round which ended last week produced a tentative deal that Pyongyang would drop its military developments in exchange for help in peaceful atomic program.

Rumyantsev also said Russia and Iran were considering ways of fostering nuclear cooperation but added that no specific projects had been agreed upon so far. The nuclear power plant in Bushehr could start generating power in late 2006.

Russia has been against referring Iran to the UN Security Council over its nuclear program, and favored leaving its consideration up to the IAEA.

Rumyantsev also said Russia's nuclear sector, "developing dynamically", was bringing $3.5 annually in export revenues.

He added that the government was considering corporatization of the sector now dominated by federal state unitary enterprises.

Rumyantsev cited the example of Rosenergoatom, the state electric and thermal energy producer at nuclear power plants. "We are discussing corporatization of the concern, with the state holding a 100% stake," Rumyantsev said.

He also said, with the development of Russian economy, the share of the U.S. financial aid in domestic nuclear safety projects would gradually be reduced. "We are now working on a parity basis, including within global partnership," he said.

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