Uzbek government defines status and functions of Atomic Energy Agency
TASHKENT. Oct 31 (Interfax) - The Uzbek government has issued a resolution defining the legal framework for the operations of the country's Atomic Energy Agency, created by President Shavkat Mirziyoyev in May.
The resolution was published in the country's national database of legislation.
The document approves the agency's statute, which defines its status, functions, rights and obligations, as well as the organization of its activities.
The tasks of the new agency include implementing a unified state policy on the use of nuclear energy, including the development and implementation of public and private programs, as well as ensuring the necessary safety measures. The agency will participate in developing regulatory legal documents regarding the use of nuclear energy and in adopting norms and rules in this area within the limits of its authority.
The resolution approves the regulations for the development fund of the nuclear energy sector under the agency and defines its sources of funding.
The document also establishes the regulations for an interdepartmental scientific and technical council on introducing nuclear energy and nuclear technologies, along with its composition.
It was previously reported that Mirziyoyev gave instructions in May to reorganize the Uzatom agency, which was established six years ago, transferring it from the Energy Ministry to the government and allowing it to enter into direct contracts with contractors for various work projects.
According to the president's decree, the agency and its subordinate organizations are permitted to conclude direct agreements with companies offering required services, including marketing, engineering and other services, when developing concepts, parameters and conditions for projects. They can also create or participate in the charter capital of economic organizations and conclude direct agreements with these organizations, as well as take part in financing projects in different industries.
The agency's director is granted the right to engage specialists from government agencies and organizations, design institutes, scientific and educational institutions and leading international and foreign companies as consultants. The director can also hire foreign specialists and pay for their services in national or foreign currency with transfers to foreign accounts using the agency's off-budget funds and other sources.
The decision to create the agency was taken amid Rosatom's plans to build two power units with VVER-1200 nuclear reactors in Uzbekistan. In November 2023, Rosatom CEO Alexei Likhachev said that work on the contract to build a nuclear power plant in the country was at the final stage. Rosatom had conducted a series of exploratory studies at the site, he said.
The Russian and Uzbek governments signed an agreement on the peaceful use of nuclear power in December 2017. In September 2018, an intergovernmental agreement on cooperation in building a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan based on a Russian design was signed. The Uzbek president approved the country's concept for the development of nuclear energy for 2019-2029 in February 2019.