MOSCOW (AP) — Russia and Uzbekistan signed a deal Monday for Moscow to build a small nuclear power plant in the Central Asian country, as Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the Uzbek leader in the Uzbek capital. Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
Speaking after the meeting, Mirziyoyev noted that Uzbekistan has “large domestic uranium reserves” and hailed the project as “extremely important,” with Putin vowing to “do everything to effectively engage with the Uzbek (nuclear) market.”
If the agreement is implemented, the nuclear power plant will be the first of its kind in Central Asia, further increasing Russia's influence in the region.
The project calls for the construction of six reactors with a combined capacity of 330 megawatts, Russian state news agency RIA Novosti reported, citing Russian state energy company Rosatom. Russian media said the two countries had previously discussed building a larger nuclear plant of 2.4 gigawatts.
Putin also promised to increase gas supplies to Uzbekistan.
Putin and Mirziyoyev's meeting took place in Uzbekistan's capital, Tashkent, where the Russian leader visited on Sunday on his third foreign trip since 1990. Inauguration of fifth term as president Earlier this month.
He went to China first.He expressed his gratitude for China's proposal for negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine. Later to Belarus Where Russia deploys its tactical nuclear weapons.
The visit reflects the Kremlin's continuing efforts to shore up support amid easing tensions with the West over the Ukraine conflict.
