Providing safety during implementation of nuclear projects Russia's absolute priority - Putin

MOSCOW. Sept 25 (Interfax) - Providing safety during the implementation of nuclear projects is an absolute priority for Russia, its President Vladimir Putin said.

"Russia is interested in creating stable, long-term conditions for nuclear power projects. Providing nuclear safety and physical protection of facilities and installations is paramount, an absolute priority for our country," Putin said at the World Atomic Week forum on Thursday.

This is why it is necessary to continue to raise the safety and reliability requirements at every stage of the nuclear cycle, including uranium production, reactor operation, and handling spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste, he said. "And the regulations in this area should be such as to maintain the finely-calibrated balance between peaceful nuclear development and strengthening the nuclear nonproliferation regime," Putin said.

Before his speech the president met with foreign delegation leaders on the sidelines of the World Atomic Week forum.

Guests include the International Atomic Energy Agency's Director General Rafael Grossi, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan and Myanmar's Acting President Min Aung Hlaing.