Russia’s Rosatom Signs 4 Nuclear Deals in 2 Days on IAEA Conference Sidelines

Russia’s Rosatom nuclear energy corporation has signed four bilateral documents ranging from agreements to memorandums of understanding with four countries in just two days on the sidelines of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) 60th General Conference in Vienna, Austria.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — On Monday, the annual IAEA General Conference kicked off in Vienna, bringing together specialists and leaders of the world’s nuclear regulators, corporations and international organizations working in the nuclear field. Russia’s Rosatom corporation delegation is led by its CEO Sergey Kirienko.

On Tuesday, speaking to journalists after the events of the conference’s second day, Kirienko noted that countries such as Russia, having expertise in various fields of application of nuclear technologies bear special responsibility to those countries desiring to have access to peaceful nuclear technologies ranging from the energy sector to application of nuclear science in agriculture and healthcare.

On Monday, the first of the four contracts was signed with Tunisia. Kirienko and Tunisia's Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research Slim Khalbous signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of nuclear energy usage for peaceful purposes, creating a legal basis for future bilateral cooperation in many areas.

The following day, the three remaining contracts were signed one after another with Cuba, Jordan and Finland.

Rosatom Deputy CEO for International Relations Nikolay Spassky and Cuban Deputy Minister Jose Fidel Santana signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of peaceful atomic energy use, while a memorandum of understanding between Russia and Jordan on education and training of human resources in the field of nuclear energy and other related areas was signed by Kirienko and Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC) chairman Khaled Toukan.

Finally, an important protocol on the implementation of practical measures on fulfillment of obligations envisaged by the 1995 Russia-Finland agreement on early notification about nuclear accidents and the exchange of information concerning nuclear facilities was signed by Kirienko and the Finnish Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority (STUK) Director General Petteri Tiippana.

The IAEA General Conference will last through Friday.