VOLGODONSK (South Russia), March 21 (RIA Novosti) - Russia and Japan could sign an agreement on civilian nuclear power in May, a Russian deputy prime minister said Saturday.

"We plan to finish drafting the intergovernmental agreement in May by the time of the Russian prime minister's visit to Japan, so that this agreement could be signed during the visit," Sergei Sobyanin, who chairs the supervisory board of the Rosatom state nuclear corporation, said.

Rosatom head Sergei Kiriyenko said all civilian nuclear power projects in the Asia-Pacific Region are almost ready for launch.

"We are waiting for the intergovernmental agreement to be signed as a guarantor of observing the nonproliferation regime commitments," he said.

Earlier Rosatom and Japan's Toshiba said they intended to discuss establishing a joint venture to enrich uranium in Russia or other countries.

"But this is not our only project; there are others as well," Kiriyenko said.

Rosatom spokesman Sergei Novikov said the text of the Russia-Japan agreement on civilian use of nuclear power has been coordinated between the two countries' delegations, and is now being coordinated in departments.