Uzbekistan adopts 5 nuclear infrastructure, medical development projects at IAEA

TASHKENT. Dec 4 (Interfax) - Five new Uzbek national projects on developing nuclear infrastructure and medicine have been approved at the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the Uzbek government's press service told Interfax on Monday.

"The Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has adopted a program for technical cooperation, under which five new Uzbek national projects will be implemented in the new cycle," it said.

Three projects among those adopted by the country for 2024-2025 aim to increase domestic capacity to develop the infrastructure of the emerging nuclear industry, enhance the regulatory framework for effective regulation and supervision in the nuclear power industry, promote safety and operational performance, and promote the effective use of Uzbekistan's nuclear research reactor, he said. Another project will support the establishment of a stable isotope laboratory for monitoring water resources and pollution sources. The fifth project, aimed at expanding and reinforcing radiation medicine for cancer treatment, seeks to reduce the mortality rate from cancer by introducing radiation therapy, diagnostic radiology, and other nuclear medicine technologies.

As reported, the IAEA's Integrated Nuclear Infrastructure Review (INIR) mission worked in Uzbekistan in June 2021. The mission concluded that the country's nuclear energy program enjoys strong government support and demonstrates a clear commitment to safety, security and non-proliferation.