IAEA Low Enriched Uranium Fuel Bank Opens in Ust-Kamenogorsk
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+16° / +14°C WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 2017 No 17 (131) www.astanatimes.com IAEA low enriched uranium fuel bank President opens opens in Ust-Kamenogorsk Parliament’s By Yerbolat Uatkhanov ASTANA – The International third session Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) menting a number of strategi- supported by the Kazakh govern- By Aigerim Seisembayeva cally important tasks. The Parlia- ment opened Aug. 29 its first-ever ment and the government must Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) ASTANA – The third session take all the necessary measures Bank in Kazakhstan. The $150 of the Kazakh Parliament’s sixth to ensure the implementation of million facility will help ensure a convocation opened Sept. 4 with the Plan of the Nation, the state- steady supply of low enriched ura- President Nursultan Nazarbayev of-the-nation address and all the nium for countries’ nuclear power setting the legislature’s tasks for programmes adopted over the programmes. the coming 10 months. past years,” he said. Speaking at the bank’s elaborate Speaking before the members Nazarbayev dwelled on cer- launch ceremony in Astana’s newly of both chambers, Nazarbayev tain areas of social development, opened Hilton Hotel, Kazakhstan summed up the results of Parlia- drawing attention to the tasks of President Nursultan Nazarbayev ment’s work during the previous modernising national identity highlighted that during the years session and stressed the impor- and ensuring economic growth. of independence, his country has tance of continuing the current “This year, the draft of the progressed from the holder of the legislative reform provisions. new tax code will be submitted world’s fourth nuclear arsenal to a The head of state noted Ka- to the Parliament. We must sig- leader in global non-proliferation. zakhstan’s internal stability and nificantly improve our tax policy He said that the opening of the bank public consensus made possible and encourage business to work is the result of many years of work the three modernisation process- transparently. There is a need to and is a very important event for the es relating to economy, politics improve legislation on special state. and national identity. He also economic and industrial zones. “As a state possessing large vol- mentioned the external tenden- We also need to legislatively umes of uranium-containing raw cies and challenges the country provide the National Bank with materials, we contribute to the is currently facing: an unstable more opportunities for effective peaceful use of atomic energy,” he sufficient to run a 1,000 MW light cated to the energy of the future, in the European Union, Kuwait, Nor- global environment, the sanc- control over banks,” he said. said at the ceremony. water reactor or give power to a Astana,” President Nazarbayev fur- way, the United Arab Emirates, “The LEU Bank will serve as a large city for three years. ther said. and the Washington-based Nuclear tions policy pursued by world The President also noted the last-resort mechanism to provide President Nazarbayev said that by “I am confident that the IAEA Threat Initiative, an NGO which powers and the spread of destruc- importance of developing the confidence to countries that they providing the IAEA the possibility LEU Bank will make a valuable jump-started the process of its es- tive phenomena that, according insurance system, sorting out will be able to obtain LEU for the to establish the LEU Bank, Kazakh- contribution to international efforts tablishment with an offer of $50 to Nazarbayev, are becoming medicine turnover, ensuring the manufacture of fuel for nuclear stan is helping to strengthen the non- to ensure the availability of fuel for million as seed money provided by even more active. country’s informational security power plants in the event of an un- proliferation regime and creating a nuclear power plants,” Amano said billionaire Warren Buffet. “At the same time, total digi- and implementing law enforce- foreseen, non-commercial disrup- unique mechanism for the safe sup- at the event. In 2009, Kazakhstan proposed to talisation is gaining momentum, ment reforms. tion to their supplies,” IAEA Direc- ply of nuclear fuel. He emphasised The IAEA plans to start buying host the LEU bank in Kazakhstan bearing both new opportunities “The Parliament and the whole tor General Yukiya Amano, who that the bank will function under the uranium soon and to start shipping under the IAEA. An agreement was and risks. All of these mean that country are to carry out big and addressed the ceremony as well, full control of the IAEA and will be it to the bank in 2018. signed with the IAEA on Aug. 27, at the time of modernisation, responsible work. Large-scale said on Aug. 28. in its official legal possession. The IAEA is the world’s central 2015. Kazakhstan is a leading pro- every minute counts. Kazakhstan tasks and solutions are, in fact, The LEU Bank is based at the “We are the largest producer of intergovernmental organisation, es- ducer of uranium, boasting more surely needs to keep up and I our response to the global chal- Ulba Metallurgical Plant (UMP) in uranium and are ready to play an tablished for scientific and techni- than 15 percent of global uranium know we can do it,” he said. lenges of 2017. Modernisation Ust-Kamenogorsk, in the East Ka- important role in the world energy. cal cooperation in the nuclear field. reserves. The President noted the legis- requires the mobilisation of all zakhstan region. The facility will Also, Kazakhstan is in the main- The IAEA seeks safe, secure and Russia established its own LEU lative process has become more forces. Under the new condi- store nuclear fuel and sell it to IAEA stream of a global green trend. That peaceful uses of nuclear technolo- bank in 2010, but the LEU bank in transparent. Parliamentary hear- tions, the legislative and execu- members. The bank will store up to is why we are holding the EXPO gies and science. Kazakhstan is the first to be fully ings have become more frequent tive branches should collaborate 90 tonnes of low-enriched uranium, 2017 international exhibition, dedi- The bank is funded by the U.S., owned and managed by the IAEA. and experts and representatives constructively,” he said. of civil society and the media are The session was attended by invited to bill consideration pro- a renewed Senate. The upper cesses. Kazakh citizens are not chamber elections in June re- always aware of their legal rights sulted in 16 new deputies, one and duties, however, and special from each region, the capital and Kazakhstan can be moral leader, key mediator attention should therefore be paid Almaty. to explanatory work, he stressed. Parliament currently has 27 “During the previous session, bills under consideration. Some the Parliament considered and of the most important are the in nuclear disarmament: head of CTBTO draft laws on taxation, insurance, adopted 84 draft laws. Among ation and ultimately nuclear weap- non-proliferation and disarmament well-aware of the risks of nuclear them is the law ‘On Amendments housing, social security and reg- By Dmitry Lee ons disarmament. movements should be the next fo- weapon testing in the country.” and Additions to the Constitution ulating the agro-industrial com- “Japan as a country that has suf- cus for the organisation. “Now this youth needs to join of the Republic of Kazakhstan.’ plex. The members are expected ASTANA – Executive Secretary fered from nuclear weapon use and “Kazakhstan has participated in youth from other countries together Fifteen bills were elaborated on to pay close attention to the new many meetings with youth, as we of the Vienna-based Comprehen- Kazakhstan as the country that has with what has been achieved with the legislature’s initiative over version of the law on currency are focusing on a big youth com- President Nazarbayev in Kazakh- sive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Or- suffered the most nuclear explo- the past year,” said Nazarbayev. regulation and currency control. ponent. What I am trying to do as stan, so people are well aware about ganisation (CTBTO) Preparatory He also emphasised the high The legislature will also consider sions” have the experience to back my next step is to join the efforts what happened at the Semipalatinsk Commission Dr. Lassina Zerbo up their position, he told The Asta- by [Kazakh] President Nursultan nuclear test site; so that never again responsibility of the Parliament the code on taxes, other manda- believes Kazakhstan and Japan na Times in an exclusive interview. Nazarbayev, who has spent all there would be a situation where this and the government to execute tory budget payments and cus- have a moral obligation to lead the Zerbo is a staunch believer that efforts to make sure the youth in is possible,” he stressed. the tasks set before the govern- toms regulations, as well as the world toward nuclear non-prolifer- involving youth in nuclear weapon Kazakhstan are well-educated and Continued on Page A6 mental bodies. code on subsoil and subsoil use, “Today, Kazakhstan is imple- before the end of the year. UN General Assembly commemorates Economy grows International Day against Nuclear Tests By George D. Gleboff President Peter Thomson called this date, Aug. 29, the UN Interna- “More than 2,000 nuclear tests 4 percent for global action to halt nuclear tional Day against Nuclear Tests, as a have been conducted over the past NEW YORK – The United Na- tests and the proliferation of nu- tribute to the victims of nuclear tests seven decades — from the South tions General Assembly (UNGA) clear arsenals and materials. and a reminder to all humankind of a Pacific to North America, from commemorated the International Under-Secretary-General and serious threat to international stabil- Central Asia to North Africa.