Brussels, Dec 23 : The Council of the European Union (EU) Tuesday mandated its executive body, the European Commission, to negotiate a broad nuclear partnership agreement with Russia.

The European Atomic Energy Community and the Russian federation will negotiate an agreement for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, a EU official said in a statement.

Energy Commissioner Andris Piebalgs lauded the decision, saying "it is an important step, which will give a new impetus to EU-Russia relations in the energy sector. It is in the interest of both sides to reach a comprehensive agreement on nuclear cooperation, and I am pleased that these negotiations can now start."

The negotiations for a broad nuclear agreement are necessary because of recent developments, such as the latest EU enlargements and the renewed interest in nuclear energy as an alternative to reduce CO2 emissions from energy generation, Xinhua reported citing the statement.

Russia is one of the main global suppliers of nuclear materials and equipment. It is also a key supplier of nuclear fuel and related nuclear fuel cycle services to nuclear power plant operators in the EU.(IANS)