Latvia's government approved a draft deal with Russia on Tuesday on the removal and reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel, the Baltic country's environmental authorities announced.

Environment Ministry officials said that under the deal, expected to be signed next week, spent fuel from the Salaspils nuclear reactor in central Latvia would be reprocessed in Russia, and that 370,000 lats (about $700,000) would be earmarked from Latvia's budget for the purpose.

The Salaspils research reactor halted operations in 2004 and is to be dismantled by 2010.

The Russian Federal Agency for Nuclear Agency, Rosatom, said the reactor's fuel was produced by Russia.

SOURCE: RIA Novosti

DATE: November 08, 2007

Topics: Spent Fuel, Latvia, Russia