Newsletter No. 774
News-Analysis
October 20, 2007

 

UZBEKISTAN WANTS JAPAN TO DEVELOP DOMESTIC URANIUM DEPOSITS

Reuters is reporting that Itochu just signed a contract to help Uzbekistan develop its domestic uranium deposits. Specifically, the contract is said to call on Itochu to develop technology that would help explore Uzbekistan’s Rudnoye deposit. Itochu might also become involved in three other local uranium projects as well.

Separately, Nariman Mavlyanov, the head of the Uzbek state committee on geology and mineral resources, said that the Japan Oil, Gas and Metals National Corporation (JOGMEC) is being considered for the exploration of a total of eleven uranium sites in Uzbekistan. Mavlyanov stated: "If everything is confirmed we will create a 50-50 joint venture and will then start developing the deposits."

It is said that a basic agreement for Japan to participate in Uzbek uranium development goes back to then-Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi’s August 2006 visit to Tashkent. We also reported in early November 2006 in Shingetsu Newsletter No. 426 that Uzbekistan was planning to export uranium to Itochu sometime in 2007.

Details are still not known because apparently Itochu is keeping mum.

AUGUST VISIT BY MIDORI MATSUSHIMA

There were a couple of small Japan-Uzbekistan stories from August that we haven’t had the opportunity to report yet.

MOFA official Midori Matsushima paid a visit to Tashkent in mid-August to discuss the “Central Asia Plus Japan” framework and a host of different issues. We don’t have many details, but this seems to have been a significant working-level visit.

Associated with her visit was the second story; Japanese government aid to maternity clinics in Uzbekistan on August 17th. This agreement was signed with Deputy Prime Minister Rustam Sobirovich Kasimov and included about US$3.1 million in aid for this sector.