Serbia has successfully transferred 2.5 tons of highly radioactive nuclear waste to Russia, a statement by the press service of the Serbian government said on Thursday.
More than 8,000 spent fuel elements, including 13 kilograms of highly enriched uranium from a Soviet-built reactor outside Belgrade, were delivered to the Mayak nuclear facility located in Chelyabinsk region on Wednesday, the statement said.
The move was taken as a part of special program under which Russia disposes of spent fuel from Russian-built reactors located in other countries.
"Serbia along with its international partners managed to implement this sensitive work [the transportation] without problems," Serbian Deputy Prime Minister Bozidar Djelic said in the statement. The shipping of the waste took eight years to set up and cost $55 million, he added.
Russia will use the money to rehabilitate the polluted environment of the industrial Chelyabinsk region.
BELGRADE, December 23 (RIA Novosti)
