DUSHANBE, July 25, 2016, Asia-Plus -- A new fund to deal with the legacy of Soviet-era uranium mining and processing in Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan had its inaugural assembly meeting at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development on July 21.

According to the Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan, the fund is an EU initiative and is financially supported by the Instrument for Nuclear Safety Cooperation (INSC).  The new fund will be managed by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).

The meeting followed the EBRD Board of Director’s decision to set up the “Environmental Remediation Account for Central Asia” (ERA) in May 2015 at the request of the European Commission (EC) to finance projects to rehabilitate high-priority sites in the countries where it will operate.

A joint EBRD and EC mission to Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in June 2016 discussed possible areas of cooperation.  Both countries have reportedly welcomed the creation of the fund and were committed to working closely with the EBRD to implement urgently needed remediation works.

The EBRD says Kyrgyzstan was represented at the assembly meeting by the Minister for Emergency Situations, Kubatbek Boronov.  Tajikistan reportedly dispatched its Minister of Industry and New Technologies, Shavkat Bobozoda.

To date, the EC has reportedly provided €16.5 million to the new fund.  The EC also finances ongoing detailed environmental impact assessments and feasibility studies at priority sites like Min-Kush, Shekaftar and Mailuu-Suu in Kyrgyzstan and Taboshar and Degmay in Tajikistan.  The accumulated amount of radioactive contaminated material in the region is a threat to the environment and to the health of the population.