Russia, Ukraine Discuss Nuclear Cooperation

Ukraine has four operating nuclear plants and supplies Russia with raw uranium, which it buys back after enrichment. President Viktor Yushchenko recently suggested that Ukraine enrich its uranium itself with a view to decreasing its energy dependence from Russia.

But Sergei Kiriyenko, the head of Russia's energy atomic agency Rosatom, said on 21 January that Russia is interested in reinforcing nuclear ties between former Soviet republics.

In Kyiv, Kiriyenko met Ukrainian Prime Minister Yuriy Yekhanurov, Fuel and Energy Minister Ivan Plachkov, and other government officials.

Yekhanurov said the two sides discussed the possibility of jointly building nuclear plants in third countries.

(ITAR-TASS, ForUm, Unian, AP)