OREANDA-NEWS. June 27, 2011. At the Ministerial Conference of IAEA, devoted to the analyses of the accident at Japanese Fukushima NPP, French representatives supported the initiatives of Russia in improvement of safety in the nuclear power industry.

France is one of the world leaders in the sphere of use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes. Almost 80% of electric power of the country is generated at NPPs.

 “These initiatives are extremely actual and concrete, they reflect the World Community’s expectations after the accident at Fukushima, besides they are possible to be realized in practice involving the parties’ good will”, French Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development, Transportation and Housing Nathalie Kosciusko-Morizet told the journalists.

According to her words, Russian proposals completely comply with the approach of Paris to the situation around the Japanese NPP. On Monday Russia passed over to IAEA the proposals which contained amendments to the Convention of Nuclear Safety. In particular, Russia suggested that the Convention should provide a schedule of countries, operating organizations and regulatory body coordination and interaction for the purpose of the accident management and reduction of the level of its consequences.

The amendments also contain the offer to provide the responsibility of the country using nuclear power to ensure the level of nuclear safety not lower than IAEA standards, and also to create an infrastructure meeting IAEA recommendations and at the assistance of the country-supplier of the nuclear plant in the countries, starting to use nuclear power.

Apart from that, Russia proposed to introduce amendments in the Convention concerning timely notification about a nuclear accident, and to supplement it with the regulations on schedule content of the provided information concerning the accident with the definition of its significance according to INES scale. Also Russia considers it necessary to improve the existing system of IAEA norms and safety.