Statement by Mr. Mikhail Kondratenkov, Representative of the Delegation of the Russian Federation, at the 11th Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (Cluster III, Peaceful uses of nuclear energy)
Mr Chairman,
Article IV of the NPT guarantees the inalienable right of all States Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, as well as to engage in international cooperation in this area. The Treaty contains no restrictions on the development of the nuclear fuel cycle, nor on the quantity, composition and level of enrichment of nuclear material that an NPT State Party may produce or possess. It provides only that such material must not be diverted to nuclear weapons purposes and must be subject to IAEA safeguards.
Russia has consistently advocated the broadest possible access for the NPT States Parties to the benefits of peaceful nuclear energy, as well as unimpeded international cooperation in this area.
Nuclear energy accounts for around 10 per cent of global electricity generation. Nuclear technologies have become deeply integrated into the lives of people across the world. They are widely used in medicine, agriculture and industry — in nearly all sectors of the economy.
Nuclear energy is consistent with sustainable development principles and goals, ensuring stable, clean energy generation with the lowest life-cycle carbon emissions. Its contribution to combating climate change cannot be overstated. Nuclear power plants currently operating worldwide contribute to greenhouse gas emissions reductions by an amount comparable to those absorbed by all the world's forests.
Russia is a leader in the world nuclear energy industry. It was in our country that the world’s first nuclear power plant was commissioned, the world’s first nuclear icebreaker was launched, and the first tokamaks were built.
Currently, 40 power units are in operation at 12 Russian nuclear power plants, including the world’s only floating nuclear power plant, the Akademik Lomonosov, with a total installed capacity of around 36 GW. They generate 18 per cent of electricity in our country, with plans to increase this share to 25 per cent in the medium term. Russia plans to build 38 new power units. In March this year, Unit 1 of the Kursk NPP-2, based on the innovative VVER-TOI design, reached its project capacity.
We continue our work to close the nuclear fuel cycle, which will enable the reuse of spent nuclear fuel and significantly reduce the need for uranium mining. The successful implementation of this project will not only expand the resource base of nuclear energy but also solve the problem of spent nuclear fuel accumulation, while making peaceful nuclear energy even more environmentally sound.
Russia is the only country in the world operating industrial fast neutron reactors: the BN-600 and BN-800. We are planning to construct a power unit with a high-power BN-1200M sodium-cooled fast reactor at the Beloyarsk nuclear power plant. Construction continues on the powerful MBIR multipurpose fast neutron research reactor.
Our country is a leader in small-scale nuclear energy and the only state operating small modular reactors (SMRs). Modern Russian SMR projects are based on the latest RITM series reactors, developed with many years of experience in operating icebreaker fleets (eight similar reactors are installed on nuclear icebreakers). An SMR project based on RITM-type reactors is being implemented in Yakutia.
Russia is the only state operating civilian nuclear-powered vessels. Currently, there are eight nuclear icebreakers on the Northern Sea Route, a transport artery connecting Europe, Russia and the Asia-Pacific region, with four more under construction.
Our country provides assistance to states developing their nuclear energy sectors. To date, 110 Russian-designed power units have been built worldwide. Over 20 VVER-type power units are currently under construction abroad, including four each in China, India, Türkiye and Egypt, and two each in Bangladesh, Hungary, Iran and Kazakhstan. Several days ago, the physical start-up of the first power unit of the Rooppur NPP took place.
In April this year, the construction of a unique hybrid nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan was launched, comprising two high-power VVER-1000 units and two SMR units of the RITM-200N type.
Since 2024, the BRICS platform has been operational, bringing together the efforts of leading nuclear industry companies from BRICS countries to develop and adopt nuclear energy and non-energy technologies, while also expanding opportunities for partnership development in third countries.
Russia’s priorities include scientific research and the development of radiation technologies, as well as the use of peaceful nuclear energy in medicine, agriculture, industry and other key sectors of the economy. Russia participates in the construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER).
Russia is among the five leading producers of medical isotope products and supplies them to 50 countries around the world. Russian-produced isotopes account for roughly one million diagnostic and therapeutic procedures annually within Russia and approximately 2.5 million worldwide.
We continue to develop nuclear medicine centres as well as to design and manufacture equipment for these purposes. We are currently constructing Europe’s largest radiopharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Obninsk.
We place great emphasis on our cooperation with the IAEA and provide the Agency with continuous political, financial and expert support. Our country is the initiator and donor of the IAEA International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles (INPRO), which marked its 25th anniversary in 2025.
Under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, we continue our work within a regional project aimed at strengthening cancer control.
We attach great importance to the training of highly qualified nuclear specialists and the education of personnel. Over 2,800 foreign specialists from 95 countries have already been trained at the Technical Academy of the State Atomic Energy Corporation "Rosatom". In addition, more than 5,000 operational personnel of nuclear power plants being built by our country abroad have undergone training in Russia.
We are convinced that each State Party to the NPT has the right to freely pursue its independent national nuclear energy policy and to cooperate in this field without discrimination.
Any restrictive measures have a detrimental impact on the international NPT regime, impeding the development of the peaceful use of nuclear energy and obstructing international cooperation in this field. Politicisation and the creation of artificial dividing lines in this area are unacceptable.
We stand ready to continue sharing our experience in nuclear energy with our partners while maintaining a carefully calibrated balance between developing peaceful nuclear energy and strengthening the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.
Thank you, Mr Chairman.
