美俄重启核能源协议

US President Barack Obama has revived a civilian¹ nuclear energy pact² with Moscow, which was shelved in the wake of Russia's 2008 conflict with Georgia.

美国总统奥巴马与俄罗斯重新启动民用核能源协议，该协议曾在2008年因俄罗斯与格鲁吉亚冲突而被搁置。

Mr Obama and Mr Medvedev have taken a number of steps on nuclear issues

Mr Obama resubmitted the pact（条约，协定） to Congress, saying US-Russian co-operation over Iran justified³ the move.

The agreement would allow the transfer of technology and equipment, including reactors⁴.

Mr Obama has vowed⁵ to "reset⁶" relations with Moscow, which became strained（紧张的，勉强的） under his predecessor⁷ George W Bush.

As well as co-operating on Iran, Russia and the US have also this year agreed to replace the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty governing nuclear arsenals⁹（军械库） .

Washington summit

In his letter to Congress, Mr Obama said: "The level and scope of US-Russia co-operation on Iran are sufficient to justify¹⁰ resubmitting the proposed agreement to the Congress.

"I have determined¹¹ that performance of the proposed agreement will promote, and will not constitute an unreasonable¹² risk to, the common defence and security."

The pact had been signed in 2007 by Mr Bush and Vladimir Putin, who was Russian president at the time.

But the conflict in Georgia meant the deal was never put to a Senate vote.

Russia and the US have taken a number of steps on nuclear issues this year.

Last month they agreed a new Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty, reducing each country's deployed¹³ nuclear arsenal⁸ to 1,550 weapons.

Also last month the nations agreed to dispose of（处理，解决） tonnes of surplus（过剩的） weapons-grade plutonium（钚） under a deal signed at a nuclear summit in Washington.

The war between Georgia and Russia was sparked by fighting in Georgia's breakaway region of South Ossetia in August 2008.

Hundreds of people are thought to have died in the five-day-long conflict and thousands were displaced.