Kazakhstan, Astana, Dec.12 / Trend, K. Konyrova /
JSC NAC Kazatomprom and the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA) signed documents in Astana on Saturday to strengthen cooperation in new technology and facilitating of joint projects in the exploration and processing of rare and rare-earth metals in Kazakhstan.
JSC NAC Kazatomprom board chairman Vladimir Shkolnik and CEA head Bernard Bigot signed the following documents:
1. A Memorandum of Understanding between the French Atomic Energy and Alternative Energies Commission (CEA) and JSC NAC Kazatomprom in the production of magnets.
Under this memorandum both parties expressed intent to cooperate to produce highly effective magnets sourced from Kazakh.
2. Agreement on the Intellectual Property issues on the Project KAZ PV (Kazakh solar grade silicon) between the CEA and JSC NAC Kazatomprom.
This is an additional agreement to those reached earlier between Kazatomprom and the CEA to conduct joint scientific research, development and technology work.
The document regulates the rights of ownership of new developments to be established during the programme. Both parties will use the 'open door' principle meaning that Kazatomprom and CEA will jointly own the future innovations, thus obtaining access to information, technology, know-how, equipment and laboratories of each of the parties within the project.
This deal offers great opportunities for the development of high technology in Kazakhstan, thus strengthening the country's scientific potential and development of modern science.
Cooperation between Kazakhstan and France in the nuclear power area began in 1996 when the first intergovernmental agreements on joint uranium mining in the South Kazakhstan region were signed. In the same year, a Kazakh-French joint venture KATCO was created, founded by AREVA Group (France) and the National Atomic Company Kazatomprom (Kazakhstan).