OREANDA-NEWS. March 23, 2007 during a meeting in Moscow on Mar 22 the deputy director general-the director for scientific-technical policy of Rosenergoatom Vladimir Asmolov and the director general of the OECD Nuclear Energy Agency Luis Echavarri discussed the prospects of bilateral cooperation, reported the press-centre of  Rosenergoatom. The sides considered Russia’s involvement in the work of the Agency’s committees and working groups and the possibilities of using the experience of Russian specialists in the development of new technologies.


The first joint project was carried out in 1993 and, today, according to Asmolov, there are real prospects for enlarging the cooperation. Echavarri pointed out the necessity of developing and improving nuclear technologies. He noted that the Russian technologies have proved their high efficiency and the international community is interested in even tighter cooperation with the Russian side.  Echavarri said that there should be 4–5 countries setting directions in the sphere of nuclear energy development and Russia is one of them. A day before, on Mar 21, the Russian Government and the Nuclear Energy Agency of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development signed a declaration on cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The declaration was signed by the chief of the Federal Service for Ecological, Technological and Nuclear Control (Rostekhnadzor) Konstantin Pulikovsky and the director general of the OECD NEA Luis Echavarri.


Echavarri pointed out that the signing of the declaration is an important step towards the strengthening of bilateral ties. He said that Russia’s involvement will be of great help for the over than 3,000 international nuclear energy experts working at the NEA. The declaration provides Russia with the status of permanent observer in all the Agency’s committees. The cooperation will be coordinated by Rosatom and NEA Secretariat.