'Russia will never transfer its nuclear technolgy'

Moscow, Apr 20: Stressing that Russia has been complying withinternational legislation, First Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Ivanovtoday said his country will never transfer its nuclear technologies toanyone.

''Russia will never transfer uranium enrichment technologies toanyone,'' the Interfax news agency quoted Mr Ivanov as saying duringhis visit to Kovrov Mechanical Works, which produces centrifuges foruranium enrichment.

Mr Ivanov said the delivery of a centrifuge to China was not aviolation of international commitments, because China had been anuclear power and Iran was not.

He pointed out that currently Russia's share of the world market for producing centrifuges was 40 per cent.

Meanwhile, the head of the Federal Atomic Energy Agency (Rosatom)Mr Sergei Kiriyenko said Russia planned to quadruple orders to theKovrov Mechanical Works for the production of centrifuges for uraniumenrichment in the next few years.

UNI