Dhaka: Bangladesh is sending a high-level
delegation to Russia to seal a civil nuclear deal with Moscow,
as Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina directed the Ministry of
Science to expedite the ongoing negotiation.
"The prime minister directed the ministry to take all
necessary measures regarding implementation of the country's
lone nuclear power project at Rooppur," a cabinet minister was
quoted as saying by The Daily Star newspaper today.
Russia has already signed a memorandum of
understanding (MoU) with Dhaka for transferring nuclear
technology, and for setting up nuclear power plants in
Bangladesh. N N Spasskiy, Russia's Deputy Director of Rosatom
Nuclear Energy State Corporation, had visited Bangladesh in
May to ink the MoU.
Moscow will assist in the development of nuclear
energy infrastructure in Bangladesh, the MoU said, adding that
Russia will supply Bangladesh with nuclear materials, and
provide services in the field of nuclear fuel cycle in
accordance with national legislations of the two states and
international treaties to which both countries are parties,
the report in the Bangladeshi newspaper said.
The latest directive from Hasina came as she discussed
a report by a Bangladeshi delegation that had attended the
53rd general assembly of International Atomic Energy Agency
(IAEA), held in Vienna from September 14 to 18.
An eight-member delegation, headed by Science and ICT
Minister Yafes Osman, will leave for Moscow on Saturday to
visit Russian nuclear plants in a bid to seal a deal for the
transfer nuclear technology to Bangladesh.
The Awami League government kicked off nuclear talks
with different countries, including Russia, in a bid to strike
a deal for installation of nuclear power units.
The high-level delegation includes a member of
Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, project director of
Rooppur Nuclear Power Project, Power and Energy Secretaries
and chairman of the parliamentary standing committee on Power
and Energy.
"The visit is a follow-up to the successful discussion
between the two countries in Dhaka in April this year," Joint
Secretary to the Power, Energy, and Mineral Resources Ministry
M M Neazuddin told the Bangladesh newspaper.
Moscow expressed its interest in assisting Dhaka,
which aims to set up two 1,000 megawatt (MW) power plants.
According to a paper prepared by the Science and ICT
ministry, the estimated cost of a 1,000 MW nuclear power plant
ranges between USD 1.5 billion and USD 2 billion.
Science and ICT Minister Osman told reporters that
Russia will initially set up a 600-1,000MW power plant at
Rooppur.
Bureau Report
First Published: Tuesday, October 13, 2009, 23:58