Kazakhstan, Astana, Nov. 18 / Trend A. Maratov /
The issue of stablishing an international nuclear fuel bank in Kazakhstan will be considered by the IAEA in Vienna in early December, the Kazakh Liter newspaper reported.
OSCE Chairman, Secretary of State and Kazakh Foreign Minister Kanat Saudabayev discussed the country's nuclear plans during his recent visit to Vienna, the newspaper said.
The issue was discussed at a meeting between Saudabayev and IAEA General Director Yukio Amano.
"The Kazakh diplomat and the head of the IAEA pointed out that establishing an international bank of nuclear fuel under the auspices of the IAEA in our republic could be an important new action in the field of nuclear safety," the Kazakh government said in a statement. "We expect the establishment of such a bank to be considered by the IAEA in Vienna in early December."
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev voiced the initiative.
Liter reported that the bank would not only guarantee Kazakhstan the status of an anti-nuclear program leader, but also strengthen its position on the nuclear material market. According to experts, the global economy will undergo an "atomic renaissance" over the next 10 years due to increasing GDP levels globally and electricity deficits in various countries.
"On the other hand, the republic can also gain access to nuclear technologies and provide leadership in the global economy due to the bank," the government said.