Kazakhstan, IAEA sign Country Program Framework for 2023-2028

ALMATY. April 18 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) have signed a Country Program Framework for 2023-2028, the Kazakh Energy Ministry said.

The document was signed by Kazakh Minister of Energy Almasadam Satkaliyev and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi during his official visit to Astana.

"The new program framework for 2023-2028 takes into account Kazakhstan's intention to build its first nuclear power plant. It identifies four priority areas: nuclear energy infrastructure, nuclear and radiation safety, food security, and nuclear medicine," the statement says.

The Country Framework Program is the frame of reference for the medium-term planning of technical cooperation between Kazakhstan and the IAEA.

Kazakhstan has been an IAEA Member State since 1994.

Earlier, Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said that Kazakhstan and Russia's Rosatom are implementing a roadmap for preparations for the construction of a nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan.

Kazakh Energy Minister Bolat Akchulakov said earlier that the government would decide on the supplier of technology for the nuclear power plant in 2023. According to Samruk-Kazyna, Rosatom has an advantage in terms of technology compared with the other suppliers.

Kazakhstan plans to build an NPP near the Ulken village in the Almaty region, southeastern Kazakhstan. The construction could take up to ten years, with a power unit costing on average $5 billion. The country's projected energy balance for the period to 2035 includes a 2.4 gigawatt NPP as one option.