Russia ready for further cooperation with Slovakia on nuclear energy — minister

MOSCOW, October 26. /TASS/. Russia is ready for further cooperation with Slovakia in the area of nuclear energy, including both large-and small-scale power generation, Russian Minister of Science and Higher Education Valery Falkov said at the 22nd meeting of the Russian-Slovak inter-governmental commission for economic, science and technical cooperation.

"We attach particular importance to nuclear energy. Russian enterprises have been supplying nuclear fuel to Slovakia’s nuclear power plants for many years, conscientiously fulfilling their obligations. We are ready to discuss future projects, including those involving both large-and small-scale nuclear power generation," said Falkov who serves as Russia’s co-chair of the commission.

In addition to the energy sector, the minister pointed to the importance of further cooperation in agriculture, including genetics and plant breeding, as well as in environmental matters, specifically regarding air quality and waste management. In the humanitarian sphere, he expressed readiness for cooperation regarding the education of Slovak students at Russian universities, the study of the Russian and Slovak languages, and in the fields of sports and tourism. Moscow is prepared for a substantive dialogue that takes mutual interests into account, Falkov emphasized. "We are prepared to work toward gradually bringing other areas back to the agenda of the intergovernmental commission, including industry, finance, transport, healthcare, standardization, and metrology," he said.

The commission reconvened after a five-year hiatus, with contacts between Russian President Vladimir Putin and Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico playing a key role in the resumption of its activities, Falkov stressed. "Despite the challenging international situation, Russia and Slovakia managed to maintain cooperation in a number of key areas," he said. Among these areas he mentioned energy, both nuclear and oil and gas sectors, as the primary focus.

Following the meeting, a ceremony was held to sign the final protocol. The document was signed by Falkov and Slovakia’s Minister of Foreign and European Affairs Juraj Blanar.