ID :
62159
Sun, 05/24/2009 - 21:59
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/62159
The shortlink copeid
Japan may entrust uranium enrichment to Russia without IAEA checks
+
MOSCOW, May 24 Kyodo -
Japan is mulling entrusting uranium enrichment to a Russian nuclear plant which
may not be inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency, sources
familiar with Japan-Russia relations said Sunday.
If such a move materializes, it would indicate Tokyo may be turning a blind eye
to the principle of a recently struck bilateral deal that stipulates Moscow
must accept IAEA checks at the plant concerned ahead of time, so as to ensure
Japanese nuclear materials will not be taken advantage of for Russian military
purposes.
Japan and Russia signed the nuclear corporation deal May 12 as part of a series
of agreements when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited Tokyo.
Under the deal, Japan plans to ship spent nuclear fuel for uranium enrichment
to a plant in Seversk, a Siberian city which is currently closed due to its
military status.
Tokyo is considering shipping spent nuclear fuel on the basis of a special
clause of the deal, the sources said, adding the two countries are to begin
commercial negotiations by the end of this month over the deal which is
expected to be in place more than 10 years.
The special clause says Moscow can proceed with enrichment work at a nuclear
plant without receiving actual inspections if it designate the plant as a
qualified civil-use nuclear facility and reports to the IAEA that it is ready
to receive international inspectors there.
Russia plans to turn the Seversk plant into a civil-use facility. Legally,
Russia cannot reject IAEA inspections at a plant designated as a qualified
civil-use facility if any problem occurs.
But the IAEA ordinarily sends inspectors only when a nuclear nation provides
the necessary costs, and does not check facilities if there is no clear
evidence of military use.
No IAEA monitoring devices can be installed at a plant designated as a
qualified civil-use nuclear facility.
The Japanese government is not disclosing details of the deal before it is
ratified by the Diet.
==Kyodo
MOSCOW, May 24 Kyodo -
Japan is mulling entrusting uranium enrichment to a Russian nuclear plant which
may not be inspected by the International Atomic Energy Agency, sources
familiar with Japan-Russia relations said Sunday.
If such a move materializes, it would indicate Tokyo may be turning a blind eye
to the principle of a recently struck bilateral deal that stipulates Moscow
must accept IAEA checks at the plant concerned ahead of time, so as to ensure
Japanese nuclear materials will not be taken advantage of for Russian military
purposes.
Japan and Russia signed the nuclear corporation deal May 12 as part of a series
of agreements when Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin visited Tokyo.
Under the deal, Japan plans to ship spent nuclear fuel for uranium enrichment
to a plant in Seversk, a Siberian city which is currently closed due to its
military status.
Tokyo is considering shipping spent nuclear fuel on the basis of a special
clause of the deal, the sources said, adding the two countries are to begin
commercial negotiations by the end of this month over the deal which is
expected to be in place more than 10 years.
The special clause says Moscow can proceed with enrichment work at a nuclear
plant without receiving actual inspections if it designate the plant as a
qualified civil-use nuclear facility and reports to the IAEA that it is ready
to receive international inspectors there.
Russia plans to turn the Seversk plant into a civil-use facility. Legally,
Russia cannot reject IAEA inspections at a plant designated as a qualified
civil-use facility if any problem occurs.
But the IAEA ordinarily sends inspectors only when a nuclear nation provides
the necessary costs, and does not check facilities if there is no clear
evidence of military use.
No IAEA monitoring devices can be installed at a plant designated as a
qualified civil-use nuclear facility.
The Japanese government is not disclosing details of the deal before it is
ratified by the Diet.
==Kyodo
