All news

West unable to exclude Russia from ITER project — expert

According to Leonid Khimchenko, "the main difference is that Russia is participating in the ITER project on the basis of the intergovernmental agreement that does not provide for the possibility of excluding any partner"

MOSCOW, March 21. /TASS/. The contribution of Russia into the ITER (International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor) project is actually indispensable and it is the supplier of key equipment, deputy director of ITER-Center Leonid Khimchenko told TASS.

The expert pointed to a number of fundamental differences, when answering the question whether the situation can be similar to the one evolved in the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), which decided to stop cooperation with Russian scientists.

"Firstly, the main difference is that Russia is participating in the ITER project on the basis of the intergovernmental agreement that does not provide for the possibility of excluding any partner. Secondly, it will not be possible to substitute Russia in the project. In particular, the equipment we are supplying for the project is the key one. It will be very difficult to replace us, if it is possible at all," the scientist stressed.

In March 2022, CERN suspended the Russia’s status as the observer. In June of the same year the CERN Board decided not to renew agreements on cooperation with Russia and Belarus after 2024.