RUSSIA, KAZAKHSTAN SIGN DEAL ON URANIUM ENRICHMENT CENTER

RIA Novosti, Russia
May 10 2007

ASTANA, May 10 (RIA Novosti) – Russian President Vladimir Putin’s
visit to Kazakhstan has produced a bilateral agreement to set up an
international uranium enrichment center in East Siberia.

The venture, which was part of Moscow’s non-proliferation initiative to
create a network of enrichment centers under the UN nuclear watchdog’s
supervision, will be based at a chemical plant in Angarsk and will
also be responsible for the disposal of nuclear waste.

"We consider this document the first step in the implementation of
our initiative to create a global nuclear energy infrastructure,"
Putin said during his talks with Kazakh leader Nursultan Nazarbayev.

The center will come on stream in 2013 and offer uranium enrichment
services to countries interested in developing nuclear energy for
civilian purposes.

Last October, Russia and Kazakhstan, which holds 15% of the world’s
uranium reserves, signed constituent documents to establish their first
joint venture to enrich uranium. A delegation from the International
Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) visited the Angarsk chemical plant
in March.

The Angarsk plant was previously removed from the list of "national
strategic facilities," and there are no further legal obstacles to
its operation.

Sergei Kiriyenko, head of the Russian Federal Agency of Nuclear
Power, and Kazakh Energy Minister Baktykozha Izmukhambetov signed
the agreement following talks between the two countries’ leaders.

"Now that the agreement is signed, the process of establishing the
center is complete," Kiriyenko said, adding that any country could
join the project by signing a similar intergovernmental agreement
in order to secure access to uranium enrichment services and receive
nuclear fuel.

He said Russia accounted for 45% of the world’s uranium enrichment
capabilities and that the Angarsk plant would be able to cover
uranium needs in the next few years, and new facilities could be
built afterward if necessary.

Kiriyenko said several countries had voiced their readiness to join
the project, adding that Armenia was one of them and that a preliminary
protocol had been signed with Ukraine.

Russia came up with the initiative to establish joint nuclear
enrichment centers last year so that countries could have transparent
access to civilian nuclear technology without provoking international
fears that low-enriched uranium could be used for a weapons program.

Russia made a similar proposal to Iran, which has been at the center of
international concerns following the resumption of nuclear research
in January 2006 in what the Islamic Republic claims is for power
generation.

Russia and Kazakhstan will also sign a deal soon to establish a fifth
joint venture for uranium prospecting and production. Kazakhstan and
Russia rank second and third in uranium reserves after Australia,
with over 1 million metric tons and 800,000 tons respectively.

"With Kazakhstan we possess the entire technological chain – from
producing uranium to achieving the final product, low-enriched
uranium," Kiriyenko said.

Putin announced Russia is also ready to assist in the construction of
a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan. "I am sure that our experts will
discuss this issue today," Putin said. "It is important to continue
work on the program to create a common electricity market for Russia
and Kazakhstan and start implementing it in the near future."

He added that forming a joint venture to develop innovative projects
on power units with nuclear reactors of low and medium capacity was
another crucial bilateral project in the nuclear sector.

From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress