Russia is expected soon to approve formally the project to build a nuclear research reactor in Myanmar, ITAR-Tass news agency reported yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 22).

“It is expected that in the first quarter of this year the government will give its approval,” said a Russian Atomic Energy Ministry spokesman. 

A ministry spokesman refused to confirm reports that Myanmar specialists have received training in Russia.

“Such information is totally unfounded when the main documents on this project are not ready,” he said (ITAR-Tass, Jan. 22 in FBIS-SOV, Jan. 23).

Russia could begin the nuclear reactor project in Myanmar in three or four years, a Russian official said.  According to Interfax news agency, the project was estimated to bring in $100 million for Russia (Agence France-Presse, Jan. 23).  Reuters reported earlier, however, that Myanmar would have to pay $5 million plus maintenance costs for the reactor (CNN, Jan. 22).

International Concern

Officials have said the nuclear reactor would serve scientific research and energy needs.  Several countries have expressed concern, however.  The United States yesterday said Myanmar must abide by the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (see GSN, Jan. 23) while pursuing the reactor project (Agence France-Presse, Jan. 23).

“We would expect Russia and Burma to ensure international safety standards are met,” said a U.S. spokesman yesterday (U.S. State Department release, Jan. 23).

The United States also asked Russia for more details about the functions of the reactors and its safety level, said U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher (Andrei Suzhansky, ITAR-Tass, Jan. 24).

The United States, Europe and China said that Myanmar is not following advice from the International Atomic Energy Agency on establishing guidelines for nuclear plant safety, according to the BBC.  An independent regulatory body is necessary to enforce standards to prevent radioactive leaks, the European Commission said.

Russia, the country that would build the reactor, also has a poor safety record, said a BBC science correspondent, noting that Russia had to shut down three nuclear reactors this week due to malfunctions (BBC, Jan. 24).

Russian authorities are investigating malfunctions at the Novovoronezh plant in southern Russia and the nuclear power plant near St. Petersburg.  Authorities fixed a problem after a reactor at the Kursk plant in western Russia shut down Saturday due to a malfunction (Chicago Tribune, Jan. 23).

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