MOSCOW. June 22 (Interfax) - Russia and Ukraine have a great potential to cooperate in the nuclear energy sector and plan to use it through the comprehensive cooperation program that is being prepared, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov said at a press conference Friday in Moscow after the second meeting of the economic cooperation committee of the Russian-Ukrainian interstate commission.
"We are ready to deliver heat-emitting assemblies for Ukraine's nuclear power stations, to cooperate, as well as join the international uranium enrichment center in the future," Fradkov said. "This means that a comprehensive program has been outlined."
The Ukrainian state concern, Ukratomprom, and the Russian Federal Atomic Energy Agency, Rosatom, on June 4 signed a protocol of intent regarding cooperation between Ukrainian and Russian nuclear power firms.
The document states that Ukratomprom and Rosatom are determined to develop cooperation in the form of research exchanges; technological support for the nuclear industry; improving the safety of nuclear power plants and extending their service lives; designing and constructing new nuclear power plants; developing enterprises involved in the nuclear fuel cycle and coordinating activities on the markets of third countries.
They also are planning to consider the possible establishment of joint ventures to extract and enrich uranium and produce nuclear fuel at Ukrainian and Russian enterprises.