Kazakhstan and Russia signed an agreement on the construction of a nuclear power plant

Tengrinews.kz — Kazakhstan and Russia have signed an agreement on the construction of a nuclear power plant. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced this during a media briefing.
According to Tokayev, there is every reason to highlight the energy sector as a highly successful area of cooperation.

"In my view, the agreements signed today regarding the construction of the Balkhash nuclear power plant are of paramount importance. I express my gratitude to the President of the Russian Federation for his personal and decisive support in launching this large-scale project, which will serve as an engine for scientific, educational, and technological cooperation, and ensure the development of new related sectors of energy and industry as a whole. This, of course, primarily concerns Kazakhstan. For our countries, the successful resolution of issues related to the extraction, transportation, and supply of energy resources and electricity to domestic and international markets is of immense significance," the Head of State said.

The President emphasized that ensuring transport connectivity in Eurasia depends largely on our countries. Kazakhstan and Russia are working productively on the development of the North-South and East-West transcontinental corridors. Systematic measures are being taken to optimize tariffs, simplify administrative procedures, and modernize border and other infrastructure.

"Consequently, cargo transportation volumes are growing steadily; at the end of last year, they reached 92 million tons, an increase of nearly 3.5 percent. Our plans include increasing these indicators, including through the implementation of advanced digital solutions and artificial intelligence technologies. A clear example was today's launch of autonomous freight transport between our countries. Cooperation in the space sector remains promising. For many years, the Baikonur Cosmodrome has served as a vivid symbol of fruitful scientific and technical partnership. The implementation of the joint Baiterek project, including the recent successful launch of the new Sunkar / Soyuz-5 carrier rocket, opens new opportunities to strengthen our countries' positions in the international space services market," Tokayev noted.

The speech noted that a unique highlight of the Russian President's state visit was the arrival of four Amur tigers in Kazakhstan.

"I express my heartfelt gratitude to you, esteemed Vladimir Vladimirovich, for your genuine support of our measures to reintroduce tigers to the territory of Kazakhstan. All citizens of our country are already aware of this valuable gift. I express my appreciation to all Kazakh and Russian specialists participating in this unique project—essentially a noble cause," said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

As a reminder, the Atomic Energy Agency previously reported that construction of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant is planned to begin in 2027.