Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych has signed a law on the ratification of an intergovernmental agreement of Russia, Ukraine and Slovakia on the transportation of nuclear materials via Ukraine, the presidential press service reported.
The agreement settles issues of transportation security and the distribution of the responsibilities of the parties when nuclear materials are transported. It guarantees environmental safety during such shipments, and gives Ukraine preferences as a transit state.
The agreement was signed in Bratislava on October 21, 2010. Before this the shipments were made in compliance with an agreement from 1993.
The revision of the agreement was initiated by Ukraine, since the legislation and standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had changed. The new agreement provides guarantees for the safety of the public and environment.
Over the entire period of transportation of nuclear materials through Ukraine, there has been not a single case of an accident in the country. An average of four nuclear shipments are conducted via Ukraine every year.
The Verkhovna Rada ratified the agreement on April 20, 2011.
