During the Senate discussion of the Bill on Uzbekistan's accession to the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage, it became known that the country also needs to draft 25 regulations on the standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
According to the chief of the Atomic Energy Development Agency (Uzatom) Azim Akhmedkhadjaev, the ratification of the convention will become the grounds for the formation of a nuclear liability insurance system in Uzbekistan, which implies the creation of government guarantees, insurance funds and mechanisms for compensation for damage.
"The Uzbek authority for nuclear safety control is the Committee on Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety, which is entitled to develop draft regulations based on IAEA standards, and it is planned to adopt 25 such documents in 2025-2026," Akhmedkhadjaev added.
According to him, these documents provide for measures to ensure the safety of nuclear units, radiation monitoring, accident prevention and mitigation of their consequences, as well as the analysis of man-made incidents.
Another subject of interest to senators in the field of nuclear safety is the international standards, legal and institutional mechanisms that are planned to be adopted to assess damage, compensate victims of possible man-made accidents, and ensure legal liability at the international level.
“We have studied the international experience, in particular, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, and on its basis a mechanism for civil liability insurance will also be introduced,” he underscored.
According to Akhmedkhadzhayev, those responsible for nuclear safety in the country include not only Uzatom, but also the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, and the Committee on Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety.
Senate Chairperson Tanzila Narbaeva emphasized the importance of coordinating all participants in the process, noting that the implementation of international standards will require coordinated work between departments.
“We have already developed a roadmap with the IAEA, and we will sign it in the near future. This roadmap includes a list of responsible organizations and specific measures to be implemented,” added the chief of Uzatom.
