#4 - JRL 6524
Minister says security stepped up at nuclear sites in Russia and abroad
ITAR-TASS

Moscow, 30 October, ITAR-TASS correspondent German Solomatin: A special security regime remains in place at all nuclear installations in Russia, which was enacted minutes after terrorists seized the Dubrovka theatre complex, the Russian atomic energy minister, Aleksandr Rumyantsev, told the ITAR-TASS correspondent in an exclusive interview today.

"In Moscow alone, there are 12 such facilities. They include the Research, Development and Design Institute of Energy Technology, which is one of the industry's leaders and which is where Russia's first nuclear weapons were developed almost exactly 50 years ago," the minister said.

Aleksandr Rumyantsev went on to say that a conference of the Atomic Energy Ministry's heads took place today. It focused on "analysis of the state of security at the industry's nuclear installations and facilities, plus introduction of a special security regime during the transport of radioactive waste from nuclear production by rail in Russia".

Particular attention at the conference was paid to the transport of nuclear fuel for use in reactors at nuclear power plants both in Russia and abroad. In particular, the minister said, the discussion concerned "security measures at the power generation complexes of nuclear power plants under construction by Russian personnel in a number of foreign countries".

Work by the Russian Atomic Energy Ministry to improve the security of nuclear facilities from possible terrorist attacks "continues at all times, and is well funded", the minister said. However, he added, "the latest developments in Moscow, in which hostages were taken and a concert hall was mined, have forced the Russian nuclear industry to bring in considerably stricter requirements for the protection of Russia's nuclear facilities".