Committee for Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Uzbekistan

On March 4–5 of this year, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Industrial, Radiation, and Nuclear Safety Sardor Yakubekov, as part of a delegation of heads of relevant ministries and agencies, held a meeting in Vienna with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to develop and comprehensively discuss a “roadmap” for bilateral cooperation.

The meeting aims to establish a working group to analyze collaboration opportunities with the IAEA, expand technical and expert-level cooperation to support national projects in radiation and nuclear safety, integrate into international nuclear safety conventions, apply global safety standards in Uzbekistan, and work with organizations responsible for training and upskilling in nuclear energy.

The talks will focus in particular on the Atoms4Food initiative, which is designed to apply nuclear technologies to improve agriculture and livestock, enhance natural resource management, reduce food losses, ensure food security, improve nutrition, and support climate change adaptation.

Additionally, discussions will cover the creation of a regional support center for cancer prevention and treatment under the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, the development of research activities at the Institute of Nuclear Physics, food safety issues, and the organization of the annual coordination meeting on legacy uranium sites.

The parties also plan to discuss the establishment of an IAEA International School and the organization of a panel session during Uzbekistan Energy Week. Open dialogue and strong cooperation will serve as a foundation for developing effective mechanisms to achieve goals in nuclear energy and related fields.