France and Kazakhstan continue to strengthen their partnership in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
On February 23, a meeting was held at the Institute of Nuclear Physics between Vassiliy Lavrenov, Deputy Chairman of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Atomic Energy, Sayabek Sakhiyev, Director General of the Institute, and Sylvain Guiaugué, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to the Republic of Kazakhstan.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects for development of Kazakhstani-French cooperation in nuclear energy, as well as personnel training for Kazakhstan's future nuclear energy sector, taking into account international experience.
Director General Sayabek Sakhiyev emphasized that cooperation with French partners is practical and productive. Today, the Institute supplies Cobalt-57 radioisotope to the French company Orano, implements joint research projects with the Institut Laue-Langevin, one of Europe's leading neutron research platforms, and is working to create world-class cold and ultracold neutron sources based on the WWR-K research reactor.
A separate area is the need for Kazakhstan to cooperate in the training of qualified specialists jointly with the International Institute of Nuclear Energy, aimed at developing educational programs, exchanging experience, and strengthening human capital in the nuclear industry.
As part of the familiarization visit, the delegation of the Embassy of France, which included the Consul General of France in Almaty, Maxime Gehringer, got acquainted with the infrastructure of the Institute. The guests visited the WWR-K research reactor, "hot" cells, where work is carried out with irradiated materials and radioisotopes, a critical assembly used for the training of specialists in the nuclear industry, as well as a site for the production of hydrogel bandages and cosmetic products "Aqua dress". The process of sterilization of medical products was demonstrated to the delegation.
At the end of the visit, Mr. Sylvain Guiaugué expressed the interest of the French side in further deepening of cooperation with Kazakhstan, including the expansion of joint scientific projects and educational initiatives in the field of nuclear energy.
