Putin: Russia, China to Step Up Nuclear Energy Cooperation

Russia wants to expand nuclear cooperation with China, including by enhancing scientific and technical work in the nuclear industry, Russian President Vladimir Putin said in an interview with the Xinhua news service.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In November, the Russia-China intergovernmental energy cooperation commission was held in the Chinese capital of Beijing. Then, the sides agreed to promote the agreements on civil use of nuclear energy, as well as to expand comprehensive cooperation in the field of nuclear energy.

"We should enhance our cooperation not only in terms of increasing the number of nuclear power plants in China but also by expanding our scientific and technical collaboration in this area," Putin told the Xinhua news service on the sidelines of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF).

According to Putin, the two units of China’s Tianwan Nuclear Power Plant (NPP), built in cooperation with Russia and operating for the last eight years, "now have proved reliable."

The Tianwan NPP is considered to be the safest in the world by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). It was constructed using Russian nuclear power equipment and state service export firm Atomstroyexport.