Tajikistan Urges Renewed Focus on Uranium Waste Cleanup at Global Atomic Forum

During the 69th General Conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Tajikistan’s delegation has urged intensified action to rehabilitate the country’s uranium tailings sites left from previous uranium production.

In his address, Aziz Nazar, Deputy Minister of Industry and New Technologies, reviewed the progress of past remediation efforts, highlighted ongoing challenges, and emphasized the critical need for continued work under the IAEA’s Strategic Master Plan for managing radioactive waste storage facilities, The Caspian Post reports via Tajik media.

Nazar also spotlighted Tajikistan’s close cooperation with the IAEA in areas including the peaceful application of nuclear technology, environmental protection, glacier conservation, and healthcare advancements.

On the sidelines of the conference, Nazar held talks with Fatou Haidara, Deputy Director General of the UN Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO). Their discussions centered on potential collaborative projects in light industry, mineral processing, and the incorporation of artificial intelligence, with both sides expressing strong interest in deepening partnership.

The Tajik delegation, which also included Ilhom Mirsaidzozoda, Director of the Agency for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Safety under the National Academy of Sciences, engaged in several bilateral meetings with IAEA officials and representatives from other countries to explore technical cooperation opportunities for radioactive waste rehabilitation throughout Central Asia.

On September 18, the delegation met with IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi to discuss upcoming initiatives within the 2026-2027 Technical Cooperation Program. Grossi received an official invitation to attend the International Conference on Artificial Intelligence, scheduled to take place in Dushanbe on October 24-25.

Separately, in July 2025, Russia’s Central Design and Technology Institute, part of Rosatom, secured a contract to prepare design and documentation for the rehabilitation of two uranium legacy sites in Tajikistan’s Sughd region: the Adrasman tailings site and the waste dumps at the former Taboshar (now Istiqlol) processing plant. This collaborative effort aims to minimize radiation hazards and prevent environmental contamination.