ASTANA, November 7. /TASS/. Russia has put forward proposals on construction of a nuclear power plant (NPP) in Kazakhstan, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said, adding that the state corporation Rosatom is ready to provide its expertise.
"Russia is not simply ready to help [in NPP construction], Russia has already put forward its proposals. We monitored the referendum that President [of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart] Tokayev held, having received support in nuclear energy development plans. Rosatom is ready to fully provide its expertise so that this issue could also be solved with our Kazakh friends," the minister told a press conference following a working visit to Kazakhstan.
Moscow is ready "to cooperate with respective agencies and structures in other countries," he added.
On October 6, a republic-wide referendum on construction of a nuclear power plant was held in Kazakhstan, with the majority of those voting supporting the construction of such a plant. The Kazakh authorities consider several possible nuclear technology suppliers, including China’s CNNC, South Korea’s KHNP, Rosatom and France’s EDF. Meanwhile, Tokayev has said that he considers it necessary to attract a consortium of foreign companies for the NPP construction. According to the republic’s Energy Ministry, the final decision on selection of a supplier or a consortium for the NPP construction project will be taken in 2025.