An official ceremony summing up the results of the CIS [Commonwealth of Independent States] Interstate Target Program (MTsP – Mezhgosudarstvennoi Tselevoi Programmi), Reclamation of territories of states exposed to uranium mining, has been held in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan. The event was attended by the Minister of Emergency Situations of Kyrgyzstan Kanatbek Chynybaev and Rosatom’s Deputy Director General for International Activities, Nikolai Spassky.
During nine years of work in Kyrgyzstan, as part of the programme, five facilities in the villages of Min-Kush in the Naryn region and Kadzhi-Sai in the Issyk-Kul region have been brought into a radiation-safe state. Central Asia was an important source of uranium in the former Soviet Union. A large amount of radioactively contaminated material was placed in mining waste dumps and tailing sites and now poses a threat to the environment and the health of the population. As well as Rosatom, the Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia (ERA), managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), is also involved in remediation work at other sites in Kyrgyzstan.
During the meeting, the parties signed a declaration on the completion of work within the framework of the CIS MTsP and approved a joint action plan for the implementation of cooperation for rehabilitation of territories on a bilateral basis for 2026–2028.
At Min-Kush and Issyk-Kul, more than 27 hectares of territory were reclaimed, the volume of transported tail material exceeded 1.4m cubic metres. The key technological achievement of the programme in the Kyrgyz Republic was completion of the most complex work in the village of Min-Kush. Rosatom specialists successfully implemented a strategy for consolidating and moving radioactive waste from the Tuyuk-Suu and Taldy-Bulak sites to the Dalneye centralised tailings dump.
The facility itself has undergone extensive modernisation. It was equipped with multilayer insulating protective screens and modern drainage systems which guarantees complete safety and resistance to any natural disasters and landslides. The work was carried out using the best Russian practices and in accordance with international standards and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) standards. Achievement of the target indicators of the radiation safety programme was confirmed by surveys undertaken by Russia’s Federal Medical-Biological Agency. The work is aimed at ensuring the long-term safety of the country’s citizens and preserving the environment for future generations.
“I sincerely congratulate you on the successful completion of the first stage of rehabilitation work on the territory of the Kyrgyz Republic,” said Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev. “Behind this result is many serious years of work by our specialists, engineers and workers.”
Kyrgyz Emergency Situations Minister Kanatbek Chynybaev said completion of reclamation in Min-Kush is a historic step for the environmental safety of all of Central Asia. “Thanks to the synergy of our departments and the highest Rosatom technologies, we managed to eliminate the threat that has worried our citizens for decades. The territories that once caused serious concern due to the threat of mudflows and landslides are now completely rehabilitated and are returning to safe economic use. We highly appreciate the support of the Russian Federation, which has taken on 75% of the funding for this programme. The signing of the joint action plan for 2026–2028 confirms that our bilateral cooperation is moving to a new, even more trusting stage aimed at the well-being of future generations of Kyrgyzstan.”
As part of the ceremony, a memorial stele was opened in the village of Min-Kush. The monument symbolises respect for the history of the country’s mining industry and the contribution of the Kyrgyz people to the nuclear project of the USSR. It also acts represents the strong strategic partnership of the Kyrgyz Republic and the Russian Federation. At the end of the event, departmental and state awards were presented to specialists and environmentalists who made a significant contribution to the successful implementation of the reclamation programme.
For more than 10 years, the Russian Federation has been providing free assistance to Kyrgyzstan to bring a number of uranium tailings dumps into a radiation-safe state. The work is being carried out in close cooperation with the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Kyrgyz Republic. As part of the first stage, work has now been completed at four sites in the village of Min-Kush as well as at one site near the village of Kadzhi-Sai in Issyk-Kul region. The current stage, to 2030, provides for the rehabilitation of three mountain dumps, their mines and structures in the southern regions of the republic. The Russian Government has allocated more than RUB2bn ($28m) for the implementation of these activities. Previously work was completed at two sites – Too-Moyun in Osh region and Kyzyl-Zhar, in Jalal-Abad region.
