US for cooperation with Russia on uranium enrichment: Sell

Moscow, Mar 14 (UNI) US-Russia cooperation on setting up international uranium enrichment centres would help promote the safe and secure use of civilian nuclear energy, visiting US Deputy Secretary of Energy, Clay Sell said here today.

Mr Sell said if Russia and the United States could convince other countries about this initiative, based on commercially attractive conditions, then it would be possible to have a situation that would ensure the safe and secure use of civilian nuclear energy.

Mr Sell is on a global tour to promote nuclear security and non-proliferation with the first stop in Moscow said ''We are in a difficult situation where many countries want, and plan to, develop nuclear power. There is a subtle boundary between the development of nuclear energy and non-proliferation issues, as it is hard to control the level of military uranium enrichment," RIA Novosti news agency quoted him as saying.

''Russia and the US have, therefore, almost simultaneously put forward a similar initiative to create a network of international uranium enrichment centres, which will take responsibility for the disposal of nuclear waste," he noted.

Recently, Russian President Vladimir Putin had proposed to set up such centres stressing the importance of cooperation with the United States in this sector.

Mr Sell, who is expected to travel to to Kiev (Ukraine) and Tbilisi (Georgia) next, also said Washington retained right for nuclear tests if necessary, although it hoped such testing will never be necessary.

The US is a part to the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) that prohibits any nuclear weapon test explosion in any environment, but has not yet ratified the document.

UNI