The Parliament of Kyrgyzstan in the second and third readings adopted a bill to invalidate the Law «On the prohibition of activities related to geological study of subsoil for the purpose of prospecting, exploration and development of uranium and thorium deposits in the Kyrgyz Republic.»
The bill banning the development of uranium and thorium deposits, adopted in 2019, is aimed at protecting public health, land, water bodies, flora and fauna, ensuring the rights of citizens to an environment favorable for life, work and recreation, as well as establishing radiation and environmental security.
The background statement to the currently adopted bill states that due to the severe economic consequences of the events of 2020-2023, the economy of Kyrgyzstan is in dire need of other sources of income. Subject to strict compliance with environmental norms and standards when carrying out activities for the extraction of uranium and thorium, the export of minerals has the potential to become an important component of the economy of the republic.
Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers Akylbek Japarov explained to deputies that the Kyrgyz Republic does not intend to mine uranium and thorium. There are plans to mine titanomagnetite, but, for example, there are deposits of titanomagnetite with reserves of more than 10 million tons in Kyzyl-Ompol. There are also uranium and thorium in small quantities as accompanying metals, which will also have to be extracted along with the titanomagnetite.
Bill «On amendments to certain legislative acts (the Code of Offenses, the Law «On Subsoil») and invalidation of the Law «On the prohibition of activities related to the geological study of subsoil for the purpose of prospecting, exploration and development of uranium and thorium deposits in the Kyrgyz Republic» was submitted to the Parliament in mid-May. The regulatory legal act was initiated by the Cabinet of Ministers.
A number of rallies against the project on development of Tash-Bulak uranium deposit in Issyk-Kul region were held in the republic in the spring of 2019. The result of numerous protests was the revocation of the uranium development license. Later, the country passed a law prohibiting the exploration and development of uranium and thorium deposits.
