Oleksandr Paliy, The Day
On May 6 Ukraine and the United States signed an agreement on cooperation on the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Speaking at the ceremony, Ukrainian Foreign Minister Borys Tarasiuk stressed that “this agreement will be one of the cornerstones in the growing structure of Ukrainian-US strategic partnership.”
Under the agreement, Ukraine expects to receive US financial aid (the first grant will amount to $30 million), attract G-7 investment projects to develop its own nuclear fuel cycle, diversify nuclear fuel sources, and extend cooperation and technology exchange with Western nuclear generating companies.
The agreement became possible after Ukraine officially refused to cooperate in the nuclear sphere with anti-American regimes, particularly Iran. When asked by The Day how much the American side was interested in signing the document, US Ambassador Steven Pifer stressed that the projects involved were mutually advantageous.
However, the political aspect should also be considered. The United States obviously regards the agreement as an additional vehicle in enhancing control over Ukraine’s nuclear sector. International monitoring here is done by IAEA according to an agreement of January 22, 1998.
Photo by Viktor Marushchenko, The Day:
Steven Pifer and Borys Tarasiuk dot the i’s







