KIEV, Nov. 19 – Ukraine expects to sign a loan agreement with the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) in late 2012 to improve the safety of the country's nuclear power plants, Energy and Coal Industry Minister Yuriy Boyko said on Inter television channel on Friday.

"We will sign the loan with Euratom at the end of the year and will invest around $1 billion within next two years into improving the safety of our nuclear power plants. They have already passed all tests, but we are moving forward to make them the most modern plants in the world," the minister said.