PRESS RELEASE

U.S. Refusal of Russian Nuclear Cooperation Stymied Next-Generation Nuclear Technology Development

by Marsha Freeman

March 13, 2006 (EIRNS)—As stated in a March 10 interview by former Russian Atomic Energy Minister Viktor Mikhailov with the Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, it is the U.S. refusal to renew the U.S.-Russian nuclear energy cooperation agreements that has helped escalate the Iran "crisis," and also stall the development of critical next-generation nuclear technologies.

The U.S.-Russia nuclear cooperation agreement was allowed to expire five years ago, after the U.S. passed the 2000 Iran Non-Proliferaton Act. Mikhailov fought with the White House throughout the 1990s, refusing to pull Russia out of the deal to complete Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor.

As a result, there are two parallel international efforts for nuclear technology development. One, a Generation 4 program is led by the U.S., and includes a dozen or so nations, but does not include Russia or "former Soviet" countries. The other, under the auspices of the IAEA, is the International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO), led by Russia, with 22 members, some of which overlap with the U.S.-led program.

Both programs have ongoing activities in the same technology systems—high-temperature reactors, fast reactors, hydrogen-generating and other process heat applications, etc. Both have long timetables to actually build anything, and little funding.

There has been ongoing, informal discussions between top-level American and Russian nuclear scientists from the nations' laboratories and institutes, on restarting a joint nuclear technology development effort. According to the Russian Embassy, a delegation of U.S. nuclear experts is leaving soon for Moscow. But without a bilateral civilian nuclear agreement, it is unclear that anything can be accomplished. Russian wires report that the St. Petersburg G-8 agenda will include discussions of the Bush and Putin international nuclear fuel proposals.

According to a Russian staff member at the IAEA, on April 10-12, there will be a technical meeting to discuss the next phase in INPRO's plans, where there may be a U.S. perspective presented for its collaboration with INPRO. Also, Bush's Global Nuclear Energy Partnership, proposing the international supply of nuclear fuel if a country agrees not to develop its own uranium enrichment facilities, will be discussed at the IAEA at that meeting. (IAEA head Mohamed ElBaradei has supported Bush's proposal).