In line with established international practices, a country exporting nuclear technology should provide comprehensive assistance to its customer countries in developing their national nuclear industry infrastructure, with a national nuclear and radiation safety and security system being among its major components. This document is aimed at implementing measures set in the Federal Targeted Programme Advancing the Nuclear Energy Industry and in the state programme Protecting Population and Territories from Emergency Situations, Ensuring Fire and Water Safety.
The draft resolution “On Cooperation in Developing National Systems of Nuclear and Radiation Safety and Security for Civil Nuclear Programmes with Countries that Contract with Russia’s Nuclear Site Construction Services” has been prepared by the Federal Service for Environmental, Technological and Nuclear Oversight (Rostekhnadzor), under the relevant presidential decree.
Russia has come a long way over the past few years in expanding the use of its nuclear technology internationally. The number of countries that are planning the construction of nuclear facilities using Russian companies has been on the rise since 2010. These include Belarus, Turkey, Vietnam and Bangladesh. And countries such as Jordan, Hungary, South Africa and Nigeria are now reviewing the possibility.
In line with established international practices, a country exporting nuclear technology should provide comprehensive assistance to its customer countries in developing their national nuclear industry infrastructure, specifically their nuclear and radiation safety and security systems. The document is aimed at implementing measures set in the federal targeted programme, Advancing the Nuclear Energy Industry, and the state programme, Protecting Population and Territories, from Emergency Situations, Ensuring Fire and Water Safety.
As Russia’s authorised oversight agency for environmental, technological and nuclear safety, Rostekhnadzor still has no authority to provide related consulting and personnel training services to its foreign counterparts.
But Rostekhnadzor’s contact with its counterparts in Belarus, Turkey, Vietnam and Bangladesh has revealed the need to provide them with wide-ranging assistance in developing a regulatory base with regard to nuclear and radiation security, licensing and oversight systems, as well as in training personnel for such agencies.
During its visit to Russia in 2013, the IAEA praised Rostekhnadzor’s close interaction with the regulators of customer countries that benefit from Russia’s services in building nuclear facilities. This practice is aimed at sharing expertise and providing support in nuclear and radiation safety and security control.
The newly signed resolution vests Rostekhnadzor with the right to provide -- under the established procedure -- the necessary services to foreign regulators in countries that contract for Russian nuclear technology.
This document will enable Rostekhnadzor to provide Russia’s foreign partners with comprehensive support, along with boosting the promotion of Russian nuclear technology on the global nuclear industry market -- a strategy that is in line with Russia’s ambition to build up high-tech exports.
The draft is aimed at implementing measures set in the federal targeted programme Advancing the Nuclear Energy Industry and in the state programme Protecting Population and Territories from Emergency Situations, Ensuring Fire and Water Safety.
