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Kosmo and Stepashin signed audit memorandum

Jørgen Kosmo and Sergey Stepashin signing the memorandum on audit review of nuclear safety projects.

STORSKOG: The memorandum signed by the Norwegian and Russian heads of the Accounting Chambers on Tuesday is a part of the audit of Norwegian financed nuclear safety projects in Northwest-Russia.

Location

Chairman of Russia’s Accounting Chamber Sergey Stepashin and Norway’s Auditor General Jørgen Kosmo met on the Norwegian side of the Russian-Norwegian border where the memorandum was signed.

The memorandum highlights the audit of Norwegian financed nuclear safety projects at the Kola Nuclear Power Plant, the projects at nuclear waste storage in the Andreeva bay, decommissioning of nuclear powered submarines, securing the radioactive strontium batteries from lighthouses in addition to emergency preparedness and environmental monitoring.

Since 1995, Norway has granted some 1.5 billion NOK (€190 million) for joint nuclear safety projects in Russia, mainly in Murmansk and Arkhangelsk regions.

The final audit review report from the joint Norwegian-Russian work will be presented to the Norwegian Parliament in May this year. In the memorandum, Kosmo and Stepashin highlight the improved safety at the Kola nuclear power plants over the latest years, partly as a result of Norwegian funded projects.

The memorandum also reads that the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs can improve the use of means even further –This will be the main focus in the continuation of the audit review work, said Jørgen Kosmo at the press-conference following the memorandum signing.

- The next step in the audit cooperation regarding nuclear safety will be to invite both Swedish and Finnish audit authorities to join the cooperation between Norwegian and Russian audit officials, Sergey Stepashin.

The paramount objective of Norway’s nuclear cooperation with Russia has been to reduce the risk of accidents and radioactive contamination from nuclear installations in Northwest-Russia, but also to prevent proliferation of fissile material.