EBRD inks first deals for Central Asia’s uranium mining legacy
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has signed the first framework agreements for uranium mining legacy fund in Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
The Bank reported that these agreements will provide the legal
basis for implementation of projects for dealing with uranium
mining legacy in these countries.
The uranium mining legacy fund was established at EBRD in May 2015
at the request of the European Commission (EC) to finance projects
to rehabilitate high-priority sites in Central Asian countries.
“The conclusion of framework agreements with Tajikistan and
Kyrgyzstan marks an important milestone. The preparatory phase of
the Environmental Remediation Account has come to a close and work
can start to address a serious hazard for the population of Central
Asia and for stability in the region,” said EBRD First Vice
President Phil Bennett
The purpose of the “Environmental Remediation Account for Central
Asia” is to support measures to deal with the legacy of Soviet-era
uranium mining and processing in the region.
The EBRD has been managing nuclear safety and decommissioning funds
on behalf of the international community since 1992, when the G7
requested the creation of the Nuclear Safety Account to deal with
the legacy of Soviet-era nuclear facilities.
Central Asia served as an important source of uranium in the former
Soviet Union. Many of the uranium legacy sites are concentrated
along the tributaries to the Syr Darya River, which runs through
the densely populated Fergana Valley, the agricultural center of
the region that is shared by the Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and
Uzbekistan.
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