KIEV, April 8 – The national nuclear generating company EnergoAtom, the operator of all four Ukrainian nuclear power plants and world's largest importer of Russian nuclear fuel, is confident of retaining and developing its partnership with its producer, Russia's OAO TVEL, despite the signing a contract with an alternative supplier of fuel assemblies – Sweden's Westinghouse Electric Sweden AB.

"The problem of the energy security of Ukraine and elimination of the monopoly in nuclear fuel supplies to nuclear power plants, which generate over 50% of the electricity in Ukraine, will in no way destroy the close historical ties that have linked Ukrainian and Russian nuclear workers for years. TVEL is, and will remain, EnergoAtom's strategic partner,"the company said on Monday.