MOSCOW, December 30. /TASS/. Russia will allocate $1.4 million to fund the United Nations Development Program for Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia, to develop settlements near radioactive storages, Russian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

The ministry recalled that Russian Ambassador in Kyrgyzstan Andrey Krutko and Permanent Representative of the UN Development Program in Kyrgyzstan Alexander Avanesov signed in Kyrgyzstan’s capital Bishkek a memorandum on Russia’s funding of the UN Development Program on socio-economic development of settlements situated near radioactive tailings dumps in the Central Asian republic.

“The project should promote stabilization of ecological and socio-economic situation in mining districts in Kyrgyzstan,” the diplomatic agency said, noting that “measures are planned to make local population more informed about radiation risks and create a regular environment monitoring system." "Measures for socio-economic infrastructure rehabilitation and development of profit-making types of activities, support of local initiatives through funding from the fund of small grants will be taken,” the foreign ministry stressed.

“The project budget will make $1.4 million, its beneficiaries will be around 15 thousand living in settlements Min-Kush, Kadzhi-Sai, Ak-Tyuz, Orlovka and Bordu in hard ecological and social conditions,” Russian Foreign Ministry said, noting that “the aid from Russia and the UN Development Program will allow improving living conditions for Kyrgyz citizens and broaden multifaceted partnership ties between the peoples of Russia and Kyrgyzstan.”