Russia to Finance Kazakhstan’s First Nuclear Plant

Russia and Kazakhstan plan to sign two intergovernmental agreements on the construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit, Rosatom chief Alexey Likhachev told the Izvestiya daily.

The planned deals include an agreement on the plant’s construction and a separate document on financial cooperation, including a Russian loan for the project.

The parties also agreed the text of the contract with indicated price, implementation timeframe and participation of Kazakh companies in the project, Likhachev said.

According to him, the plant could begin operating in the next decade. Before that, Kazakhstan will need to prepare the construction site, train personnel, secure permits and certify local contractors under Russian safety standards.

(tass, bak)