Russia will become a full-fledged member of the Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), a specialized agency within the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), on January 1, 2013 following its formal accession to the agency on Wednesday.
An exchange of accession letters took place at the OECD's Paris headquarters between OECD Secretary General Angel Gurria, Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Denisov and Rosatom Deputy Director Nikolai Spassky.
Russia will become the 31st member of the NEA, which assists its members in maintaining and developing the scientific, technological and legal bases required for the safe, environmentally friendly and economical use of nuclear energy through international cooperation.
Russia has been an observer in several NEA committees for several years.
"With Russia, the NEA will have additional strength when it comes to nuclear energy, nuclear safety, waste management or economics,” Gurria said.
“It is all the more important in the post-Fukushima context: international cooperation needs to be enhanced to make sure that all the lessons learned are fully implemented."
