The workshop was led by representatives of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) from 25 to 29 January in Tashkent. The workshop was part of the NRC’s outreach program to facilitate strengthening controls of radioactive sources in nations around the world. Specifically, this workshop was geared toward countries of the former Soviet Union.

Officials from Uzbekistan’s Ministry of Health and the Institute of Nuclear Physics, which runs a research nuclear reactor near Tashkent, were joined by their counterparts from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine at the workshop, US embassy in Tashkent said on 26 February.

The workshop covered a wide range of regulatory approaches to ensuring the security of radioactive sources, including the laws that cover controlling these substances, organizational structures, hiring and training personnel, and regulatory programs.

Many of the topics were related to security principles that have been developed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to manage and regulate activities involving radioactive sources. Enhancing public safety and security is one of the core mandates of the IAEA, the international body that reports to the United Nations on issues involving nuclear power.

The workshop was the latest event in the ongoing partnership between the governments of Uzbekistan and the US to promote nuclear and radioactive security. In December, experts from the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) led training on locating and securing radioactive sources. In 2006, the NNSA worked with Uzbekistan to remove 63 kilograms (139 pounds) of highly enriched uranium from the Institute of Nuclear Physics to a secure facility in Russia, and the US Department of Energy has supported the building of a secure storage facility for radioactive substances in Uzbekistan.

All of these efforts have national security and public health benefits for the people of both the US and Uzbekistan.