Russia, Mongolia set terms for uranium mining venture

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Russia_Mongolia_set_terms_for_uranium_mining_venture_999.html Moscow (AFP) Dec 14, 2010 Russia and Mongolia set the terms Tuesday for the operation of a jointly-run uranium mine in the former Soviet satellite. The Dornod Uran joint venture will dig for uranium in Mongolia's Dornod province and receive an initial investment of around 300 million dollars (225 million euros), Russian officials said.
The agreement was signed during talks here between Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and his Mongolian counterpart Sukhbaatar Batbold.
Mongolia's mining industry is the country's largest, accounting for 40 percent of its export revenues, according to the World Nuclear Association.
Donrnod, Mongolia's biggest uranium deposit, was mined by a Russian subsidiary from 1988 to 1995.
Russia renewed interest in the site in 2009, when it initially created the new joint venture.

Russia to increase missiles unless shield agreed: Putin

Putin's remarks also come amid uncertainty about the fate of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), signed this year by US President Barack Obama and Medvedev.

Moscow (AFP) Dec 1, 2010 Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said Moscow will build up its "striking forces" including nuclear weapons to ensure security if a joint decision on missile defence fails. Putin's remarks came shortly after President Dmitry Medvedev warned in his annual address of a possible new round of the arms race if the sides do not agree on the European missile defence shield.
If Russia's proposals on the European system "are met with negative answers only" while additional threats appear, "Russia will have to ensure her own security," Putin said, according to previewed excerpts of an interview with CNN's Larry King released Wednesday.
"Striking forces" would include "new missile, nuclear technology," he said. "This is not our choice, we do not want that to happen," but this is what will happen "if we do not agree on a joint effort there," Putin said.
The full interview will air at 9:00 pm Eastern Time in the United States, or 0500 GMT.
Russia and NATO agreed to deepen missile defence cooperation at last month's summit in Lisbon.
Medvedev warned at the time that the positive response of Russia to a missile defence shield in Europe depended on the quality of cooperation between Moscow and the Alliance.
The Wall Street Journal reported that NATO leaders late last month rejected a proposal from Medvedev to unite Russia's missile defenses with a shield being built by the West.
A few hours before Putin's interview, the Russian defence ministry said its new RS-24 ballistic missile would allow Russia to bypass missile defence systems.
"The entry into service of the RS-24 will reinforce the strategic capacity of striking forces in the matter of bypassing anti-missile defence systems, therefore consolidating the nuclear deterrent," spokesman Igor Shevchenko was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.
Putin's remarks also come amid uncertainty about the fate of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START), signed this year by US President Barack Obama and Medvedev.
START restricts the US and Russia to a maximum of 1,550 deployed warheads, a cut of about 30 percent from a limit set in 2002.
The Russian lower house of parliament, the State Duma, has indicated it will ratify the treaty only after its ratification by the US Senate.
The agreement, a top Obama foreign policy initiative, replaces a previous accord that lapsed in December 2009 but ratification has been held up by opposition Republicans.

Related articles

• Russia issues new missile defence threat (guardian.co.uk)
• Russia's Putin warns West over missile defense: report (reuters.com)
• Putin: Russia will move nuclear weapons if shut out of Western missile shield (dailymail.co.uk)
• You: Putin says Russia may build stockpile if New START treaty founders (latimes.com)
• Putin warns of arms buildup - Washington Post (news.google.com)
• Putin warns Russia will step up nuclear defense without new arms deal (rt.com)
• Putin warns of arms buildup if New START isn't ratified - Washington Post (news.google.com)

Russia seeks to unfreeze nuclear plant project in Bulgaria

Image via WikipediaRussia tried Saturday to unfreeze a long-stalled project for a new 2,000-megawatt nuclear power plant in northern Bulgaria, reiterating readiness to fund the project directly or through loans. "Russia has the finances and readiness to implement the Belene nuclear power plant project in a way that will suit the Bulgarian side to the maximum, either through ensuring funding, loans, or equipment," Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin said after talks in Sofia.
Bulgaria already contracted Russia's Atomstroyexport to build the plant but lack of clarity about the project's total cost and the withdrawal last year of German utility RWE, which held a 49-percent stake in the plant, has forced Sofia to mull dropping the deal unless it finds a new strategic investor.
"We presented final figures (about the estimated cost of the plant) and now the Bulgarian experts need to assess them and give us their response," Putin said Saturday.
But he refused to go into details, saying that the figures could only be disclosed after approval by the Bulgarian side.
Russia offered in February to finance the construction of Belene's two 1,000-megawatt reactors by as much as 2.0 billion euros (2.8 billion dollars) but Bulgaria insisted on finding a new strategic partner before continuing construction.http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Russia_seeks_to_unfreeze_nuclear_plant_project_in_Bulgaria_999.html

TVEL in Ukraine Venture

TVEL, Rosatom’s nuclear fuel monopoly, agreed Wednesday to form a joint venture with Ukraine to build a uranium-processing plant there.
The plant will have capacity to process 400 metric tons of uranium a year and may start operating in 2013, according to a statement distributed by the Russian government at the signing ceremony in Kiev.
Ukraine will hold 50 percent plus one share, according to the statement, and the plant will produce fuel for Ukraine’s VVER-1000 reactors. TVEL agreed to transfer nuclear fuel technology to the Ukraine venture by 2020, the statement said. A site is not yet selected.
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/business/article/tvel-in-ukraine-venture/421285.html