Russia ready to implement Rooppur N-Power Plant

Says Rosatom DG

11 June 2010, 18:00 PM

Diplomatic Correspondent

Director General of Russian Atomic Energy Corporation 'Rosatom' Sergey V Kirienko on Thursday said Russia is ready for all cooperation for implementation of the nuclear power plant in Bangladesh. The visiting Rosatom director general affirmed Russian government's readiness when he called on Foreign Minister Dipu Moni at her office. He is leading a six-member delegation to Bangladesh. Kirienko, also former prime minister of the Russian Federation, told the foreign minister that his visit was the next step to finalise the contract, agreement and broader policy decisions on implementation of Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant Project (RNPP). Responding to Kirienko, Dipu Moni remarked that it carries Russia's goodwill and indicates its keenness about RNPP, which is going to be the centerpiece of bilateral cooperation. She said RNNP implementation would stand out to be the single most visible and landmark evidence of friendly relations between the two countries. Kirienko affirmed Russia's readiness to extend all cooperation for implementation of the Nuclear Power Plant. Bangladesh and Russia signed the framework agreement on cooperation on RNPP in Moscow on May 21. Dipu Moni said Bangladesh is a party to a whole range of commitments to the international nuclear non-proliferation and verification regime, such as NPT, Bilateral Safeguard Agreement with the IAEA, the Additional Protocol to Safeguards Agreement, and the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). She said Bangladesh needs two nuclear power plant reactors of 1000 MW production capacity each under RNPP. Dipu Moni stressed a package of cooperation for the RNPP so that all aspects such as technical, technological, financial, safety, training and capacity building, HR development, research, management, ownership process are covered under the package. She emphasised the necessity of exchange of visits between Russia and Bangladesh at the highest political level.