President of Ukraine Victor Jushchenko demanded from the government within a month to work out a project of intergovernmental agreement with RF on cooperation in the field of investigation, extraction and processing of uranium ores, is said in the decree of the president.
"Agreement will be directed on maintenance of the prospect of extraction of uranium to meet the needs of nuclear power of Ukraine in uranium raw materials in intermediate term", - it is marked in the document. Besides, Jushchenko decided to work out till the end of 2009 a question on creation of enterprises for manufacture of nuclear fuel In Ukraine. It will be created on competitive basis, is specified in the decree.
From editorial board: On the background of obvious deterioration of relations between the Russian Federation and Ukraine the initiative of president Jushchenko looks very solidly. It is possible to assume that having 9 uranium deposits headed by well-known Yellow Waters Ukraine has lost technological reserve to such an extend that it's not capable to produce fuel for own atomic stations without assistance. However most likely it's not so - Ukraine still has quite efficient nuclear industry.
However, if to recollect last year's initiatives of prime minister Timoshenko in nuclear sphere, it is possible to assume that Jushchenko involving the Russian Federation into the process of manufacture of nuclear fuel strikes thereby at some interests of prime minister and business circles which are guided by her - within the limits of pre-election struggle it's quite probable.
The third question is, probably, a real step towards Russia in rather painful for it question - it's not a secret that after ruin of the USSR considerable part of uranium deposits remained out of the limits of the Russian Federation and own nuclear complex of Russia has some deficiency of raw materials. Admission of Russia to the Ukrainian sources facilitates situation not only for the Russian atomic power stations but also for Strategic nuclear forces requiring periodic reboot of nuclear charges.
However, it's not a fast thing to do and after January, 17th arrangements can be reconsidered, especially if other person will become the president - uranium arrangements, however, can really make the Kremlin get strongly interested in Jushchenko (though apparently, they in the Kremlin look up to operating Ukrainian president).
Аnatoly Baranov
PS. It's rather symptomatic that the head of the Moscow branch of the party "Great Russia" Alexander Krasnov whom, as well as this entire organisation, is difficult to reproach for "Antirussian" and radical moods, acted with quite eloquent project of the project of National Assembly on "Ukrainian Question":
"Last months mass media constantly exaggerates the question of aggravation of contradictions in the Russian-Ukrainian relations.
There's an impression that the process of creation of an image of enemy is going on within the limits of information preparation for real strain of relations. Similar situation took place last year in the Russian-Georgian conflict before starting of military actions. Authors and executors of this scenario are federal Russian authorities which not only supervise "art preparation" in mass-media but also create base for the conflict using clumsy diplomatic actions. In this connection Council of National Assembly declares:
- there're no serious contradictions in the Russian-Ukrainian relations;
- it's in the interests of the Russian and Ukrainian people to live in friendship and interaction irrespective of momentary moods of the heads of the states;
- no provocations of separate politicians on any question related to our relations are worth even minimum real disputed development of situation;
- we believe that attempts to aggravate conflict with Ukraine can be the real reason of change of management in Russia as the only way of maintenance of peace".
Something changes in the moods of the Russian political circle and "war party" in the Kremlin, probably, can find itself in deaf isolation even from the part of patriotic community.
А.B.
