Yuri Senturin, Vice Chairman of State Duma Committee on Energy, Transport and Communication

— The growing state control over the key nuclear enterprises contributes to the restoration of the necessary technological chain

Speaking of the results of 2006, I would like to note that the year was certainly successful. The current “renaissance of the nuclear power sector” is a very good chance for Rosatom to carry out its projects and the agency is using this chance very effectively. And Russia’s present (positive) expansion into the international nuclear energy markets is an absolutely positive fact.

The high interest in the peaceful nuclear power production in our country and in the world comes from the realization that today there is no alternative to nuclear power engineering. Experts warn that oil, gas and goal will end some day. This prospect urges us to search for guaranteed, stable and clear energy sources and nuclear energy is one of them. That’s why the return to this scheme, the high level of safety our civilization has achieved makes this source of energy and this industry a priority. The old fears are fading away, all countries are turning their faces towards this sphere and Russia’s achievements have got in demand.

What we have now is a team of managers “that is absolutely to the point” and can not just formulate goals and set tasks but can move towards them steadily and persistently – I would even say “aggressively” in a positive sense. I hope that this very combination of “a general background” and a particular team who offered a program approved by the President and turned by the State Duma into a law will lead us to success.

Our recent achievements are heralds of this success: our accomplishments in China; the Bulgarian project; the Czech Republic, where TVEL has beaten Westinghouse in a tender; the progress of the Iranian project; the formation of the Angarsk uranium enrichment center and many other projects. I think that our hopes for success will come true.

By regaining its control over the key nuclear companies, the Government will restore the necessary technological chain and will make it predictable – which is very important. In fact, we are forming a single solid corporate scheme. The experience shows that a clear, efficient and purposeful structure based on single pivotal forms of ownership brings better results, especially in such highly-integrated industry as nuclear power engineering.