On September 7, at the "Hyatt Regency Tashkent" hotel, a regular meeting of the Assembly of the Environmental Remediation Account (ERA) for Central Asia was held.
The event was attended by the Minister of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change Aziz Abdukhakimov, Chairman of the Assembly of the Environmental Remediation Account (ERA) for Central Asia Adriaan van der Meer, representatives of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE), UN Development Program, representatives of Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and the Republic of Uzbekistan.
Speaking at the event, Minister of Ecology Aziz Abdukhakimov noted that the elimination of old uranium mines and chemical residues is a priority.
“This project is aimed at regulating environmentally hazardous areas in Uzbekistan. We strive to liquidate old uranium mines in these areas and improve their infrastructure,” said A. Abdukhakimov. “We agreed to implement projects in other directions,” the minister added.
At the meeting, the participants were informed about the planned and ongoing activities related to the reclamation of former uranium mines. Goals for the coming year were also discussed.
It is worth noting that Uzbekistan is a beneficiary of the ERA, and it is planned to reclaim former uranium mines in the Tashkent and Namangan regions, which are designated as priority sites in the Strategic Master Plan.
As part of the event on September 8-9, representatives of the EU countries, as well as heads of diplomatic missions of the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Hungary, Latvia, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Great Britain and the United States will get acquainted with the reclamation of former uranium mines and visit the cities of Angren and Yangiabad.
In order to green the environment, protect trees and shrubs, as well as expand green spaces, as part of an event on the territory of school No. 42 in the city of Angren, local authorities with the participation of heads of diplomatic missions, representatives of the ERA, the European Commission, the International Atomic Energy Agency, OSCE, UNDP, the Kyrgyz Republic and the Republic of Tajikistan will plant seedlings of trees.
It is also planned to visit the former uranium deposits in Yangiabad, get acquainted with the ongoing work at the reclaimed construction sites of uranium facilities, the radiation situation at the workplace and the impact of work on the environment.
For reference, in accordance with the Decree of the President of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Ecology, Environmental Protection and Climate Change has been appointed as an authorized state body responsible for organizing work within the ERA. A grant agreement "Remediation of objects of uranium deposits Yangiabad and Charkesar-2", has been signed between the Ministry of Ecology and EBRD, within which reclamation is being carried out. It is expected that work on reclamation of the objects will be completed by 2025.
