BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 11. Kazakhstan is one of the largest suppliers of uranium raw materials to world markets, said member of the Parliament of Kazakhstan, Aydos Sarym, at a roundtable discussion on "Azerbaijan-Kazakhstan relations: regional cooperation", Trend reports.
“The processes that are taking place in the world today force us to move very actively towards diversifying the economy, changing the nature of our economy. Today we are doing a lot of work not only in the oil and gas sector, but, as the president recently said, but also in the mining sector," he said.
"Considering this, Kazakhstan, of course, has something to offer the world. We are one of the largest suppliers of uranium raw materials to the world markets. We even began to discuss the construction of a nuclear power plant. The President proposed to put this issue to a referendum," Sarym noted.
President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, in his address to the people on September 1, said that the development of nuclear power is a particularly important economic and political issue.
"The decision to construct or refrain from building a nuclear power plant is a highly significant issue that greatly impacts the future of our country. Therefore, I propose to submit it to a national referendum. Specific dates will be determined later," he added.
Kazakhstan ranks second in the world in terms of proven reserves of natural uranium. About 14 percent of all proven world reserves are concentrated in the depths of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The country's total proven reserves are estimated at more than 700 thousand tons of uranium.
In 2009, Kazakhstan came out on top in terms of uranium mining in the world and continues to maintain its leading position in the world market. Kazakhstan produces about 40 percent of the world's uranium production. In 2021, the volume of uranium production amounted to 21,800 tons, according to the results of 2022 - 21,300 tons.