Kazakhstan submits draft roadmap for nuclear cooperation to IAEA
A Kazakh delegation led by Deputy Chairman of the Kazakh Nuclear Energy Agency Gumar Sergazin and IAEA Deputy Director General Hua Liu held a meeting at the headquarters of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Austria, Qazinform News Agency reports via the Agency.
The delegation included representatives of Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Energy Agency, Foreign Ministry, and National Scientific Oncology Center (NSOC).
During the talks, the current state and prospects of cooperation between Kazakhstan and the IAEA were discussed, including plans for engagement within the cycles of the IAEA Technical Cooperation Programmes for 2026/27 and 2028/29. The Kazakhstani side presented a draft roadmap for cooperation, prepared following agreements reached between Almassadam Satkaliyev, Chairman of the Nuclear Energy Agency, and IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi during the 69th IAEA General Conference in September 2025.
The draft roadmap outlines a set of comprehensive priority areas, including the safe development of nuclear power and strengthened regulation, human resource development, scientific and educational infrastructure, expanded use of nuclear medicine, as well as measures in environmental protection, climate change, food safety, veterinary science, and water resources.
Regarding the construction of nuclear power plants and the development of nuclear infrastructure, the Kazakhstani side highlighted the need for continued IAEA support in strengthening the national regulatory authority, as well as in developing and adapting the regulatory and legal framework for the design, construction, and operation of nuclear power plants.
As a result of the meeting, further steps were identified, including the establishment of an IAEA working team to review the draft roadmap and prepare recommendations.
Special attention was given to the development of nuclear medicine and oncology care in Kazakhstan. With the support of Kazakhstan’s Permanent Mission to the international organizations in Vienna, coordination meetings were held on December 17-18 for staff of Kazakhstan’s Nuclear Energy Agency, Foreign Ministry, and NSOC with relevant IAEA departments.
During these talks, the Kazakhstani delegation received recommendations on key thematic areas. Discussions with May Abdel-Wahab, Director of the Division of Human Health, helped define areas of cooperation between the NSOC and the IAEA in the development of nuclear medicine. Meetings with the staff of the technical cooperation programme divisions specified current cooperation issues and outlined promising national technical cooperation projects in the field of nuclear medicine.
Overall, the visit provided the Kazakhstani side with a more comprehensive understanding of the institutional, legal, and organizational mechanisms necessary for the effective development of the peaceful use of nuclear energy. In turn, the IAEA confirmed its readiness to provide comprehensive support for the implementation of Kazakhstan’s initiatives in this field.
Previously, Qazinform News Agency reported Kazakhstan launches grants to train nuclear energy experts abroad.
