Lawmaker demands Cabinet to voice its stand on situation around uranium development in Issyk-Kul

AKIPRESS.COM - Lawmaker Janar Akayev is demanding the government to voice its stand on the situation around the uranium development at Kyzyl-Ompol site in Issyk-Kul region.
Tourism brought $358 million, while mining earned just $30 million, he said speaking at the parliament committee meeting on April 22.
"Government keeps silence, we don't know the position of the Cabinet," he said and demanded the Prime Minister to voice his stand on this matter.
"International donors are giving grant to get rid of uranium tailings, but here we are trying to damage the environment for $30 million and say goodbye to our tourism," Akayev said.
Locals are protesting against the development of uranium since December last year. Kyzul-Ompol uranium site is located in Kochkor district of Naryn region and Ton district of Issyk-Kul region.
On 27 March 2019, Kara-Balta Mining Plant and Economy Polimers Ru LLC signed a cooperation agreement worth $30 million during the state visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to Kyrgyzstan. The money will be used to modernize the existing plant and develop uranium deposits in Issyk-Kul. Kara-Balta Mining Plant will process the uranium ore from Kyzyl-Ompol site. The uranium tailings will be buried in the decommissioned tailing storage near the village of Marmara, Sokuluk district.