Bangladesh and Russia have signed in Moscow a protocol on cooperation on peaceful use of atomic energy during visit of a nine-member team headed by state minister for Science and ICT Yeafes Osman.

According to a delayed message received yesterday, the protocol was inked on Wednesday providing for formation of a joint working group between the two countries. The composition of the group and its work schedule will be defined in the working process, it said. M Neazuddin Miah, additional secretary of the Science and ICT Ministry, and Mikhail N Lysenko, Director of the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom" of Russia, signed the accord on behalf of their respective governments.

The Moscow protocol was signed in the backdrop of Bangladesh planning to opt for a nuclear power plant to meet the crippling shortage of electricity in the country. Bangladesh delegation visited Russia from October 18 to 22 for spot inspection of Russia's nuclear sites preceding the deal signing. The visit also followed a series of talks between the two sides in recent months after the Awami League government came to power early this year. It was agreed in the protocol that both Dhaka and Moscow will arrange further exchange of visits, particularly at expert level.

UNB adds : During the visit, attention of Bangladesh was drawn to the possibilities in connection with the development of national program and its essential parts - legal framework in the area of peaceful usage of nuclear energy. The Bangladesh delegation sought support from Russia in establishing nuclear power plant and the Russian side assured of extending possible assistance in the regard. Following this umbrella deal, the matter of signing the framework agreement on the "Rooppur Nuclear Power Plant" was discussed. The main procedural issues on completion of negotiating the text of agreement and carrying out its technical revise in Russian, English and Bengali were finalized. "The draft Agreement is under examination and soon it would be ready for signing," the release said. It was agreed that it will be signed at a mutually convenient time.

Practical steps on the realization of the "Memorandum of Understanding" between Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission and the State Corporation "Rosatom" on cooperation in the area of peaceful usage of nuclear energy, signed in May this year in Dhaka, were also discussed. During the tour, the Bangladesh delegation also visited the unit 4 of Kalininskya Nuclear Power Plant and the crisis-management center of 'Energoatom Concern'. The crisis management center is an integral part of the NPP to ensure fall safety and security of the NPP round the clock.

The Russian Crisis Center is based on a concept embracing the best experiences and ideas of the leading nuclear powers-the United States and France-and underpinned by up-to-date information technologies, computer equipment and telecommunications. A meeting was held between the visiting delegation and the senior management of "Atomstroyexport", the sole Russian Company to undertake Procurement, Construction and Project Management (EPCM) in Nuclear Power Plant abroad. It was revealed from their presentation that the third-generation NPP using the state-of-the-art technology has an estimated life of 60 years with the provision of extension by another 20 years. The delegation also made a presentation on 'Power System Planning of Bangladesh status of Nuclear Power Programme'. A meeting was held between the Bangladesh delegation and SV Kiriyenko, former Russian Prime Minister and Director General of Rosatom. The meeting discussed the basic issues of the current Russia-Bangladesh cooperation and its perspectives.

Recalling that the Russian government and people stood shoulder to shoulder in Bangladesh's liberation war, Yeafes Osman said: "Our great leader, father of the nation Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman, was respected very much by our Russian friends and, today, his daughter Sheikh Hasina is in power." He also expressed his hope that the government and the great people of Russia would share the same warm feelings and sentiments for Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina and the people of Bangladesh. The state minister also said the government has outlined the target of generating 20,000-MW electricity by 2021 to ensure universal electrification in Bangladesh. He stressed that, to meet that objective, nuclear energy is a major option for Bangladesh.

The former Prime Minister of Russia concurred with the current situation in Bangladesh and assured of providing all possible support to Bangladesh in this regard. The other members of the delegation were M Dabirul Islam MP and President of the Parliamentary standing Committee on the Ministry of Science and ICT, Dr SM Saiful Hoque, Bangladesh Ambassador to Russia, M Musharraf Hossain Bhuiyan, Secretary, ERD, AKM Abdul Awal Mazumder, Secretary, Ministry of Science and ICT, M Abul Kalam Azad, Secretary, Power Division, Dr Farid Uddin Ahmed, member (physical Science), Bangladesh Atomic Energy Commission, and Dr Mohammad Shawkat Akber, Principle Scientific Officer and Project Director of Rooppur Nuclear Power Project.

-The Independent