Russian officials said pricing disputes in a U.S. agreement to purchase uranium removed from Russian nuclear weapons will probably not disrupt a shipment expected in March, the Moscow Times reported yesterday (see GSN, Jan. 16).  The dispute could be resolved before the due date of the uranium shipment, according to the Times.

“We are still negotiating, and I am sure that the deal will be signed,” said Nikolai Shingaryov, head of the Russian Nuclear Power Ministry’s department for information policy.

The ministry will still work with the U.S. Enrichment Corp. only and will not divert uranium sales to other companies as long as USEC remains the official U.S. purchaser, Shingaryov said.

“The nuclear fuel market is not the oil or gas market.  It is strictly regulated and all deals have to be guaranteed by the International Atomic Energy Agency,” Shingaryov said.  “Any deals on the side would simply bring more harm to Russia [than] any possible benefits.”

The pricing term dispute could be linked to Russia’s desire to have more access to the U.S. low-grade uranium market, according to the Moscow Times.  Russia’s access to U.S. markets was limited after dumping accusations in the early 1990s.  Russia could be attempting to tie the HEU deal to low-grade uranium trade limitations, said a source close to the ministry.

USEC is not related to the low-grade uranium restrictions and could have no role in any negotiations on that issue, said USEC spokesman Charles Yulish.

“[Both sides] have a mutual interest in continuing this important program, and after eight years of a successful business and working relationship, we are confident that the parties will reach agreement on new long-term financial terms,” Yulish said (Valeria Korchagina, Moscow Times, Jan. 21).

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