Memorandum of cooperation between Rostechnadzor and the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security

19.09.2018 On September 18, 2018 the ceremony of signing the Memorandum of Cooperation between the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia (Rostechnadzor) and the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security in the field of regulation of nuclear and radiation safety in atomic energy peaceful uses was held in Vienna (Austria). The document was signed by Mr. Alexey Ferapontov, Deputy Chairman of Rostechnadzor, and Mr. Khammar Mrabit, Director General of the Moroccan Agency for Nuclear and Radiological Safety and Security.

According to the document, the parties will cooperate in the field of safety regulation in atomic energy peaceful uses in the following major areas: development of the legal and regulatory framework  in the field of nuclear and radiation safety and nuclear security; licensing of activities in atomic energy peaceful uses; control and supervision activity, including preparation and implementation of inspection programs; safety regulation in management of radioactive wastes and spent nuclear fuel, including their transport and secure storage; supervision over accounting and control of nuclear materials, radioactive materials, radioactive wastes, as well as supervision over the physical protection of nuclear installations, radiation sources, storage facilities, nuclear materials and radioactive wastes; quality control for the equipment important to safety; emergency preparedness and response; training of the safety regulatory authority personnel.

?I have no doubt, that the signed Memorandum of Understanding will make the basis for the further fruitful and useful cooperation between the regulatory authorities of Russia and Morocco?, said Mr. Alexey Ferapontov upon signing the document. Mr. Khammar Mrabit, in his turn, answered that he appreciates the cooperation between Russia and Morocco in the field of regulation of nuclear and radiation safety in atomic energy peaceful uses and confirmed the intention to promote it.

The Rostechnadzor delegation takes part in the 62nd session of the IAEA General Conference, which will last up to September 21, 2018. On September 18 Mr. Alexey Ferapontov had a meeting with: Mr. Frederic Hassel, Deputy Director General of the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority; Professor Mr. Samy Ata-Allah, Chairman of the Egyptian Nuclear & Radiological Safety Regulatory Authority; Mr. Hans Wanner, Chairman of WENRA and Director General of the Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate; Doctor Mr. Zafer Demirkan, President of the Turkish Nuclear Regulatory Agency. Moreover, Mr. Alexey Ferapontov met Mr. Juan Carlos Lentijo, IAEA Deputy Director General.
Mr. Ferapontov emphasized that Rostechnadzor actively and fruitfully cooperates on a permanent basis with the Agency in such key activity directions as nuclear safety and nuclear security. ?We highly appreciate the IAEA contribution to international cooperation strengthening as an effective tool for provision and maintaining of the global nuclear safety regime, one of the basic elements of which are the international conventions in the field of nuclear safety and nuclear security?, highlighted the Rostechnadzor Deputy Chairman.

As Mr. Ferapontov said, one of the main directions in Rostechnadzor international activity is share of experience and rendering assistance to the regulatory authorities of countries, planning or commencing construction of Russian-design nuclear plants at their territories. Nowadays, such cooperation is implemented in frames of nine cooperation agreements and memorandums of understanding (Bangladesh, Belarus, Vietnam, Egypt, Zambia, Indonesia, Jordan, Iran, Turkey). Prepared to signing are five more documents (Zambia, Nigeria, Cuba, Philippines, Uzbekistan and a three-lateral memorandum with India and Bangladesh). Cooperation for discussion of texts for memorandums was started with Ghana and Sudan.

The IAEA Technical Cooperation program, in frames of which Rostechnadzor arranges scientific visits and training of regulatory authorities? representatives of the embarking countries, is an effective tool for rendering such assistance.

Information source: the official website of Rostechnadzor.