The environmental group Greenpeace, which revealed the agreement's existence in Prague, denounced it as a breach of an international treaty which is aimed at halting the spread of nuclear weapons, and said it should be canceled.
A senior Czech official denied that the agreement, signed in Moscow on Dec. 4, breached the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty and said no shipments of spent nuclear fuel would be made to Russia in the coming years, if ever.
Prague would accept inspection by the International Atomic Energy Agency if such shipments began, said Ivan Novak, a senior official at the Ministry of Industry and Trade.
Greenpeace released copies of the agreement leaked to its Moscow office at a news conference in Prague on Friday.
The agreement allows the Czech Republic to send spent fuel from its Soviet-designed nuclear power plants to Russia, where the material would be reprocessed and returned for further use.
A Message from The Moscow Times:
Dear readers,
We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent."
These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia.
We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help.
Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact.
By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us.
Remind me later.