President Nazarbayev suggests developing international safety standards for nuclear power stations

Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev suggests developing international safety standards for nuclear power stations. This initiative was voiced at the international summit on safe and innovative use of nuclear energy held in Kiev, Ukraine, Akorda.kz reported. “It is of paramount importance to work out single - as tough as possible – international standards and criteria to ensure safety of nuclear facilities (…) not a single nuclear facility should be put in operation unless it meets the standards”, N. Nazarbayev said. According to him, it is expedient to introduce – under the aegis of the International Atomic Energy Agency - mandatory stress-tests of control systems of nuclear power stations, with independent experts involved. “It is of prime importance to oblige nations and companies running nuclear power stations to keep both their own people and the international community aware of any, even minor, incidents happening at the nuclear facilities”, N. Nazarbayev said. “By the mid of the current century, about 50% of nations are expected to have nuclear power stations of their own. Negative repercussions of a failure at any nuclear power station will take on trans-border dimension (…) safety of nuclear power stations and other peaceful nuclear facilities should be seen as an essential component of the overall global nuclear security”, N. Nazarbayev said. “We should do our best to make sure our grandchildren and great-grandchildren do not pay for mistakes of those ruling over nations and businesses”, Head of State summed up.