[cdn-nucl-l] AREVA Group opens office in Moscow

["Radik Ixanov" <ixanov@sympatico.ca>]

Nuclear.Ru (http://www.nuclear.ru/eng/news) informed on Oct 09, 2003.


On October 8 AREVA Group hosted inauguration ceremony for its Moscow’s
office. The ceremony was attended by AREVA Group chairperson of the board
Anne Lauvergeon, France ambassador to Russia Jean Cadet, RF minister of
atomic energy Alexander Rumyantsev, top managers of enterprises, companies,
research and design institutions of Minatom of Russia. “AREVA’s Moscow
Office must become an active player and moving force in developing long-term
successful cooperation with Minatom of Russia”, Lauvergeon said. Describing
AREVA’s activities she noted that besides the main area – products and
services for all stages of the closed fuel cycle – the group would acquire a
new trade of electricity distribution and transmission, which would make the
company one of the largest in the electricity market.
In December 2002 AREVA Group and Minatom of Russia signed the protocol of
intention to develop nuclear power cooperation and set up several working
groups. According to Lauvergeon, AREVA’s Moscow Office’s major task is to
facilitate contacts with the Russian side. “This is a great importance for
us because we will be able to cater your needs only if we know and
understand them well”, she stressed. The Russia-France nuclear cooperation
has more than 30-year history. “It has started in several narrow areas and
today we cooperate with Minatom nearly in all directions”, said Lauvergeon
noting that AREVA Group and its Russian partners are united by the
understanding of the necessity to develop nuclear power.
Presently AREVA actively participates in HEU-LEU contract implementation,
develops cooperation in nuclear fuel fabrication, automated process control
systems, upgrades of existing nuclear reactors, discussions on construction
of a MOX-fuel fabrication plant in Russia as well as in projects associated
with rehabilitation of nuclear sites and decommissioning of nuclear
facilities. “We have learned how to work together and we will continue this
work”, she said. In turn, Alexander Rumyantsev noted that the setting of
AREVA’s Moscow Office is a large-scale event for the Russian nuclear
industry. “We have been always active in our cooperation”, the minister said
stressing not only technical aspect of the cooperation but also its social
and humane nature. He also expressed his confidence that this cooperation
would further develop for the benefit of both AREVA Group and the Russian
nuclear industry.