Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom in 2016 will contribute RUB24.6m ($300,000) from its state budget allocation to the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA’s) International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO project), according to a Russian government directive published on the official legal information portal. The directive says Rosatom and the Russian Foreign Ministry will monitor the use of the Russian contribution.
INPRO was established by the IAEA in 2000 to ensure that nuclear energy is available to contribute to meeting the energy needs of the 21st century in a sustainable manner, according to the project’s official website. It is a mechanism for INPRO members to collaborate on topics of joint interest and the results of INPRO’s activities are made available to all IAEA member states. The INPRO Section in the IAEA’s Department of Nuclear Energy coordinates activities with and in member states that have joined the project. INPRO is funded mainly by extra-budgetary resources.
Its membership currently consists of 40 IAEA member states and the European Commission (EC). Members include Algeria, Argentina, Armenia, Bangladesh, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Republic of Korea, Malaysia, Morocco, Netherlands, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russian Federation, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, United States of America, Vietnam and the EC. Several other countries participate on a working level or as observers in INPRO meetings.
