On 17 January 2020 the Agency for the Development of Nuclear Energy under the Ministry of Energy of the Republic of Uzbekistan (Uzatom Agency) met with a delegation of the French Embassy.
The French delegation noted Uzbekistan’s adoption of the law on nuclear energy use for peaceful purposes. It was noted the law complied with all international best practice where safety of the general public population and overall transparency is concerned.
Attendees also discussed bilateral agreements reached following the visit of the Uzbek delegation to France in September 2019 and commercial relationships established with French companies.
It was also noted that Uzbekistan has established a joint venture with the participation of the State Committee of the Republic of Uzbekistan for Geology and Mineral Resources, and the French company Orano Mining S. A., for the exploration and production of uranium. The joint venture Uzenergoengineering–Assystem in the energy sector was also noted. Assystem is a specialist in the design of electric grids and energy facilities using innovative technologies.
To develop bilateral relations further, the Uzbek delegation was invited to consider closer ties with the largest French manufacturers of equipment for the energy industry and inviting them to Uzbekistan to accelerate production localisation and industrial cooperation.
It was proposed that a presentation and demonstration of products of the French nuclear industry be organized for 21-24 January 2020, during a visit of the delegation of the Republic of Uzbekistan to Paris.
The current state of legislation and regulations in Uzbekistan was also discussed, as was cooperation in training nuclear energy personnel plus the ratification of major international legal acts in the field of nuclear energy use.