Uzbekistan, Tashkent, May 17 / Trend, D. Azizov /
Uzbekistan and Russia signed an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in importing irradiated nuclear fuel from research reactors into Russia, a government source of Uzbekistan told Trend.
According to the document, irradiated fuel from research reactors in Uzbekistan will be imported into Russia for utilisation and replacement by low enrichment fuel with its subsequent return to Uzbekistan.
On behalf of the Russian government, the document was signed by the deputy director general of the State Corporation Nikolay Spassky, and from Uzbekistan, chief of the State Inspectorate for supervision of geological exploration of mineral resources, safe conduct of industry work, mining and domestic sectors under the government, Bakhtiyar Gulyamov.
According to the Russian side, a programme to return highly enriched uranium from nuclear research reactors to Russia, both fresh and irradiated accompanied by conversion of active zones of these reactors from highly enriched uranium to low enriched uranium, has been implemented since 2002.