The parliamentary committee on international affairs, defense, security, and migration of Kyrgyzstan has adopted in three readings a draft law on the ratification of the updated protocol to the agreement between Kyrgyzstan and the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) on the application of safeguards under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Deputy Minister of Natural Resources, Ecology, and Technical Supervision Asel Raimkulova noted that the initiative aims to bring national radiation safety legislation in line with international standards and ensure Kyrgyzstan’s full participation in IAEA technical cooperation programs.
These programs cover, among other areas, the management of radioactive waste, as well as the development of nuclear medicine, radiation therapy, and diagnostics at the National Center of Oncology and Hematology.
The updated document stipulates:
- The state’s obligation to provide the IAEA with an initial report on all nuclear material, even in minimal quantities;
- The IAEA’s right to conduct on-site inspections;
- Exclusion of the protocol’s use by countries that already have or plan to establish nuclear facilities.
The IAEA will also have access to information and facilities related to the nuclear fuel cycle, including research activities not directly connected with nuclear material.
Earlier, Kyrgyzstan joined the Convention on Assistance in the Case of a Nuclear Accident.
The country has been a member of the IAEA since 2003.
The International Atomic Energy Agency was established as an independent intergovernmental organization within the UN system. With the adoption of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, its role gained special significance, as the treaty made it mandatory for each member state to conclude a safeguards agreement with the IAEA. Today, the agency counts 178 member states.
