Rosatom’s Director General Alexey Likhachev and Minister of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic Boobek Azhikeev had talks on March 26 on the sidelines of the ATOMEXPO-2024 International Forum to discuss the implementation of the intergovernmental target programme “Recultivation of Lands in CIS Member States after Uranium Extraction,” as well as further remediation of the environmental and radiation damage from uranium and mining operations to the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic in 2024-2030.

The meeting resulted in an agreement on cooperation in the remediation of the Kyrgyz territories affected by uranium extraction and mining operations, signed by the Government of the Russian Federation and the Cabinet of Ministers of the Kyrgyz Republic.

The agreement is meant to structure interactions between the Rosatom State Corporation and the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic in the process of remediation works. It envisages tax and duty exemptions for such works on the territory of the Republic. The agreement also ensures safety to the inhabitants of the areas of the Republic where waste of uranium and other mining operations is stored, and reduces the risks of emergencies at former uranium mines and other ore extracting and processing facilities.

The signing of the Agreement is expected to contribute to the improvement of environmental situation, effective use of the territories, social and economic development of the communities left after the liquidation of uranium facilities. It should also facilitate further expansion and deepening of the mutually beneficial cooperation between the Russian Federation and the Kyrgyz Republic in civilian use of nuclear power.