Russia and Kazakhstan are preparing to sign an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in research and development in the nuclear energy sector, Rosatom said yesterday. Vyacheslav Pershukov, the Russian state nuclear corporation's head of design and innovation, led a delegation to Kazakhstan last week to discuss potential joint projects in the sector. world-nuclear-news.org A consortium of four German companies has been awarded a contract to improve infrastructure for managing radioactive waste, the rehabilitation of contaminated areas and the decommissioning of nuclear power plants in Ukraine. world-nuclear-news.org The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said that the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Station in Plymouth, Mass., was operating safely in a report that said the plant's owner Entergy was correcting longstanding issues that had landed the plant in the agency's column 4 safety status. nuclearstreet.com In a strange twist of energy development, China is building at least three nuclear plants to power offshore oil and gas drilling. news.discovery.com