Uzbekistan intends to expand partnership with French Orano
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Uzbekistan plans to expand its partnership with the French uranium mining company Orano, reported press service of the President of Uzbekistan Shavkat Mirziyoyev.
“Deep processing of strategic raw materials and production of industrial products based on advanced technologies are identified as an important area of cooperation. It was noted that in this direction there are already plans to expand the partnership with the Orano company,” the statement says.
In his address, which was cited by the press service, Mirziyoyev noted that “the doors to work in New Uzbekistan are always open, and we are ready to implement any promising joint projects.”
French President Emmanuel Macron is on a visit to Uzbekistan. A day earlier, the French leader visited Kazakhstan. As Bloomberg wrote, citing sources, Macron’s goal will be to “increase France’s energy security,” since the Central Asian countries are rich in uranium.
It was noted that Paris was interested in such cooperation after the July coup in the second largest importer of uranium for France – Niger (supplied 1,440 tons to the French in 2022). According to Euroatom, Kazakhstan became the largest supplier of uranium to France (2,659 tons), and Uzbekistan took fifth place with 918 tons.
How told nuclear energy expert Valentin Gibalov, in an interview with Vedomosti, it is unlikely that France will be able to replace uranium from Niger: Kazakhstan’s production is almost at its maximum, although it still has reserves for some growth. According to him, Kazakh uranium is slightly cheaper to mine, but is sold at a similar market price.
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