The sanction pressure on Russia has become something commonplace and has affected almost all areas of the economy and livelihoods. The Russian nuclear power industry, which is one of the best in the world in terms of scientific and technological developments, was no exception. The reason for the West’s attention to this industry is the loss of US status as a global leader in nuclear energy.
The object of obstruction and discredit of Russia, in particular the state corporation Rosatom, in front of the IAEA and the international expert community became strategic facilities located in the Murmansk region. First of all, the Kola Nuclear Power Plant (hereinafter – KAS) in the city of Polyarnye Zori, Murmansk Region.
Foreign information and propaganda centers raise issues of supposedly inadequate security of the region’s nuclear infrastructure, and more and more often there is an opinion about the need to reduce foreign funding for joint nuclear energy projects with Russia.At the same time, senior representatives of the Finnish organizations (Kim Soderling – STUK), Sweden (Tor Stenberg, Mats Persson – SSM), as well as the Norwegian Institute of Energy Engineering (Jan Otto Porshmur, Hell Ture Hansen – IFE) as part of the international meetings in 2019-2020 on the topic of modernization of equipment ensuring nuclear and radiation safety of a nuclear power plant, openly declare the need to renew and maintain foreign funding for technical support measures for the nuclear power plant.
According to them, they have formed a stable idea of the importance of continuing joint cooperation in the field of nuclear and radiation safety, as well as the feasibility of financing by countries of Scandinavia and Finland of technical assistance and joint projects with the Russian Federation implemented on KAS.Thus, funding and technical assistance to KAS from the responsible representatives of the designated Scandinavian organizations in the framework of ongoing projects, including completed in 2019 and moving to 2020, it was agreed with IFE that despite the decommissioning of the Halden research reactor and the reorganization of IFE by the Norwegian government, the institute’s “nuclear competencies” and cooperation with KAS are maintained.
The total funding for 2020 will remain unchanged. STUK received guarantees of long-term technical cooperation, despite changes in the political vector in the world.In 2019, equipment was delivered, as well as other expenses (including the organization of training, meetings, symposia, etc.), funded abroad in the following amounts (table of specifications attached): IFE in the amount of 2 million 300 thousand NOK, SSM – 264 thousand 500 EUR, STUK – 270 thousand EUR. For 2020, funding was confirmed in the following volumes: IFE – 2 million 300 thousand NOK, SSM – 121 thousand 500 EUR, STUK – 590 thousand EUR.
Thus, the international cooperation of Russia, Finland, Sweden and Norway, using the example of KAS, contradicts relations between Brussels, Helsinki and Stockholm (within the framework of the EU position on the Russian Federation), as well as Oslo with other members of the North Atlantic Alliance (primarily the USA) due to the demonstration of the absence of unity on the issue of applying anti-Russian economic sanctions and international cooperation in the Arctic region.
IAEA seeks new target
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