The Russian prime minister Mikhail Kasyanov has confirmed that Russia and Sweden are ready to sign a treaty on the disposal of nuclear waste on the Kola peninsula.
He told a briefing in St Petersburg on 10 June that: "This issue is really under discussion, and only one or two insignificant aspects remain to be agreed upon." The issue is mainly about the dismantling of decommissioned nuclear submarines. Around 100 submarines are currently awaiting disposal. The Murmansk Region programme is aimed at finalising the disposal of submarines by 2015.
