Turkey, Russia to jointly use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes

PanARMENIAN.Net - Russian President Dmitry Medvedev has signed 2009 nuclear cooperation agreement with Turkey that would boost energy projects between the two countries, the Kremlin said.

The deal, approved by Russia's parliament last month, was one of several agreements struck by Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin on a visit to Ankara in August 2009, RIA Novosti reported.

Last year, Russia and Turkey signed $20 billion agreement under which Russia would help build and operate Turkey's first nuclear power plant.

Speaking on a visit to Moscow in March, Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the plant would be an "example for the rest of the world" in terms of safety and transparency in nuclear emergencies.

There have been renewed concerns about the safety of nuclear power generation after the radiation leak crisis at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant that was badly damaged by earthquake and tsunami on March 11.