Finland and Russia strike nuclear deal

Finland and Russia have signed an agreement on the use of nuclear energy for the first time since the previous agreement expired in 2004.

The deal was signed between Finland’s minister of economic affairs Jan Vapaavuori and Sergei Kirienko, the head of the Russian state-owned nuclear company Rosatom, on 25 February. It includes collaboration on nuclear research, safety and environmental protection.

According to the agreement, both sides will be able to authorise joint projects. The previous agreement expired in 2004 and has not been renewed because the two countries are bound by different regulations on nuclear damage liability. This means that they have not been able to submit compensation claims to each other.