- 9
- 02.09.2023 11:59:00
- 2 min read
President Kasim-Jomart Tokayev proposed holding a national referendum on the construction of a nuclear power plant in the country, because it is "a very important issue related to the future of Kazakhstan." The President announced this proposal in his traditional address to the nation on September 1. According to him, the date of construction of NPP will be determined later.
"In my pre-election program in 2019, I promised that decisions on the most important strategic issues would be made through a referendum. Building or refusing to build a nuclear power plant is an extremely important issue related to the future of our country. That's why I suggest putting it to a national referendum," he said.
Tokayev admitted that there are different opinions about the advisability of building a nuclear power plant in the republic.
"On the one hand, Kazakhstan, as the world's largest producer of uranium, should have its own atomic generation. Some experts favor the construction of small reactor stations. On the other hand, many citizens and a number of experts are worried about the safety of nuclear power plants. This is understandable given the tragic legacy of the Semipalatinsk nuclear test site," he said.
The President emphasized the need to continue the discussions in this regard.
Tokayev also informed that in the next five years at least several hydroelectric power stations will be renovated and new ones will be built.
"Kazakhstan should not mainly import electricity and should not depend on neighboring countries. The events that are happening now cannot be accepted, first of all, from the point of view of state security," he said.
Earlier, it was reported that the first nuclear power plant in Kazakhstan will be built in Ulken village of Jambil district of Almaty region. However, it was said that the Ministry of Energy has not yet made a final decision about the company that will build the NPP in Kazakhstan.
The village of Ulken is located near Lake Balkash, Kazakhstan, and is about 700 km from Tashkent.
Source: kun.uz
