IAEA to Monitor Russian Enrichment Facilities

The U.N. nuclear watchdog plans to begin conducting safeguards inspections of Russian civilian uranium enrichment facilities to pave the way for a civilian nuclear cooperation deal between Russia and Japan, Russia’s atomic energy chief said yesterday.

International Atomic Energy Agency head Mohamed ElBaradei informed Russia last month that the agency would start monitoring enrichment sites in Angarsk and eastern Siberia, said Sergei Kirienko, chief of Russia’s atomic energy agency.

Under the pending civilian nuclear agreement, Japan would purchase enriched uranium fuel for its nuclear power plants and return the spent nuclear fuel to Russia.  Japanese officials have pushed Russia to permit international inspections of the enrichment sites, however, to ensure that enriched Japanese uranium is not bring redirected for use in nuclear weapons.

Nuclear experts are planning details of the inspections and expect monitoring to begin soon, Kirienko said (Japan Economic Newswire, Oct. 10).

Back to top
About Newswire  |  Contact National Journal  |  Re-Use Guidelines © Copyright 2008 by National Journal Group, Inc. The material in this section is produced independently for NTI by National Journal Group, Inc. Any reproduction or retransmission, in whole or in part, is a violation of federal law and is strictly prohibited without the consent of the National Journal Group, Inc. All rights reserved.