During working visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Mr. Nursultan Nazarbayev to French Republic the Strategic Partnership Agreement has been signed between National Atomic Company Kazatomprom, the Bureau of Geological and Mining Research BRGM and the European Company of Monitoring and Strategic Consulting (CEIS) on September 19, 2011.
 

The document on behalf of Kazatomprom has been signed by the Chairman of the Board Mr. Valdimir Shkolnik, on behalf of BRGM by Director on International Cooperation – Mr. Jean-Claude Guillaneau and by the President Mr. Olivier Darrason on behalf of the CEIS.
 

This Agreement is an initiative of Kazatomprom under the Company policy on advancement of scientific knowledge and industrial development of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
 

Strategic partnership will be an important stage in mineral resources research projects development.
 

According to signed agreement, the partnership between Kazatomprom, BRGM and CEIS will follow six directions:

Joint work of Kazatomprom and leading French scientific and research companies will enable to contribute to the advancement of knowledge and determination of task-oriented actions in RM and REM, and foster technology transfer between Kazakhstan and France.

Development of REM deposits and REM-based production is a new trend for Kazakhstan in industrial and innovative development, which will lead to establishment of high-value-added productions and occupy position in emerging market of REM.
 

Following the meetings, both Leaders underlined the strategic nature of the partnership in the joint declaration, the partnership which has developed between two countries, including under Kazatomprom projects. In particular, Nursultan Nazarbayev and Nicolas Sarkozy welcomed Kazatomprom and AREVA intentions in further development of joint projects and expressed satisfaction in advancement of negotiations under photovoltaic modules production project between JSC NWF Samruk-Kazyna, JSC NAC Kazatomprom and French consortium headed by the CEIS.

 

Partnership between Kazakhstan and France in nuclear energy has started in 1996, when first intergovernmental agreements in joint development of South Kazakhstan uranium deposits were signed. The Kazakhstan-French joint venture KATCO LLP has been established the same year, with AREVA (France) and National Atomic Company Kazatomprom (Kazakhstan) as funders.
 

During the visit of the President of France Mr. Nicolas Sarkozy to Kazakhstan the Agreement on establishment of the IFASTAR (Integrated Fuel Asia Star) new Kazakh-French joint venture in nuclear fuel marketing for nuclear power plants has been signed in Astana on October 6, 2009.
 

 Feasibility study for construction became the main task to establish JV, including design of fuel assembly production lines, as well as evaluation of Asian target market in relation to marketing of integrated fuel packages to operating nuclear power companies in Asia. The project’s feasibility study is completed, and based thereon, it was decided on October 27, 2011 in Paris to establish a joint venture on fuel assembly production in Kazakhstan at Ulba Metallurgical Plant under AREVA project.

 

JSC NAC Kazatomprom and French Alternative Energy and Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) have signed an agreement in solar energy joint research projects (photovoltaic) during official visit of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan to France in October 2010. NAC Kazatomprom and BRGM have concluded Memorandum on establishment of Kazakh-French Scientific Laboratory of Rare and Rare Earth Metals. The Memorandum on organization of higher education and advanced training for the personnel of Kazakh nuclear industry was signed between NAC Kazatomprom and the European Company of Monitoring and Strategic Consulting. Also, the Agreement was signed between Kazakhstan Nuclear Society and French Nuclear Energy Society on strengthening scientific and technology cooperation for development of nuclear energy for peaceful purpose and technologies of two countries.