Russian President Vladimir Putin is on an official visit to Uzbekistan on May 26 and 27 at the invitation of President Shavkat Mirziyoyev. What did the heads of both countries discuss during their talks in Tashkent?
Moscow and Tashkent are actively working on issues related to the construction of a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan using innovative small modular reactors. This project has been a focus of bilateral cooperation between the two countries.
The parties noted that "the parameters of the general contract for this facility are currently being agreed upon."
Back in 2017, the state corporation "Rosatom" announced plans to build a nuclear power plant in Uzbekistan. As Alexey Likhachev, the general director of "Rosatom," stated at that time, the plant would include two modern 3+ generation power units with VVER-1200 reactors. The installed capacity of each would be up to 1.2 GW.
In October 2018, the presidents of Russia and Uzbekistan, Vladimir Putin and Shavkat Mirziyoyev, signed an intergovernmental agreement on the construction of a nuclear power plant in the Navoi region of the republic.
To illustrate, a model of the future nuclear power plant, based on the operating Novovoronezh NPP-2, was created.
According to estimates provided by Yuri Ushakov, an aide to the Russian leader, the project cost could be around $11 billion, and the first power unit was expected to be commissioned in 2028.
Moscow and Tashkent also considered the construction of a copper processing plant and a gas chemical complex in Uzbekistan. The countries also intend to create a metallurgical cluster at the Tebinbulak iron ore deposit.
The implementation of these initiatives will not only strengthen the strategic partnership between the two countries in the field of peaceful nuclear energy but also provide a significant impetus for the further development of bilateral economic cooperation overall.
During the trip, Vladimir Putin will also participate in the first meeting of the Council of Regions of Russia and Uzbekistan.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
May 27, 2024