The first G8 Nuclear Safety and Security Group Meeting was held in Moscow

On February 26-27 Moscow hosted the first G8 Nuclear Safety and Security Group (NSSG) Meeting under the Russia's Presidency. Along with G8 delegations, the meeting was attended by the representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the European Commission. The Russian delegation included representatives of the Federal Environmental, Industrial and Nuclear Supervision Service of Russia (Rostechnadzor), the Federal Medical-Biological Agency (FMBA of Russia) and the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom".

The main issues on the agenda were: status of the implementation of projects on the Chernobyl NPP site (primarily the status of the project on construction of a new safe confinement over Unit 4 of the NPP destroyed as a result of accident in 1986), implementation of the IAEA Action Plan on Nuclear Safety, discussion of proposals on enhancing the effectiveness of the Convention on Nuclear Safety, etc. Participants also continued the discussion of emergency preparedness and emergency response issues. In this context Russian delegation presented the information on the experience of Russia in this field, as well as about the establishment of a Regional Crisis Center for countries operating VVER type reactors (currently 10 countries, 25 nuclear power plants).

Also upon an initiative of the Russia's G8 Presidency, NSSG entered into consideration of aspects of remediation of the areas affected by implementation of peaceful nuclear energy programmes. The meeting attendees noted the advisability of improving mechanisms for the exchange of experience in this field.

The second NSSG Meeting will be held in St.Petersburg on April 28-29, 2014 with the main goal to prepare the Group's report for the G8 Leaders' Summit.