OREANDA-NEWS. On October 13, at the 25th International Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2014) Rosatom State Corporation Deputy Director General Vyacheslav Pershukov noted that the sanctions against Russia had no influence on the RF participation in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Plant (ITER) project.

Mr. V. Pershukov observed that the present geopolitical situation had no impact on the fulfillment by Russia of its obligations on the project. "Russia has fulfilled, is fulfilling and will fulfill its international obligations on the ITER project. I can reassure the public that we have not introduced any changes on the ITER project towards reduction in the budget for 2015-2017," said Mr. Pershukov

According to him, during the current year, the participation of the RF in the project was worth about 5 billion roubles. As Mr.

Pershukov noted, the budget of each project's participant country is a floating one and depends each year on the equipment supplied for the project by each country. "Science is outside politics, that is the position that we adhere," he stated.

The 25th International Fusion Energy Conference (FEC 2014) has opened Monday in Saint Petersburg. For the first time in its contemporary history, Russia is receiving that scientific forum. The conference, convened every two years under the auspices of the International Agency for Atomic Energy IAEA), is a venue for the discussion of research prospects of in the field of thermonuclear energy. The first such conference took place in Salzburg, Austria, in 1961, while the Soviet Union hosted it in Novosibirsk in 1968. The organizers of the conference were IAEA, Russian Federation Government and Rosatom State Corporation. The forum will be attended by representatives of 43 nations.