Japan and Kazakhstan to work on building nuclear power plants; UK negotiating with Tajikistan on Afghan withdrawal; US will not use Tajikistan’s territory for Afghan troop withdrawal; CSTO chief describes the Afghan situation as being ‘extremely negative’
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    • According to reports, Japan Atomic Power Co. has signed an agreement with a Kazakh nuclear research facility to develop nuclear plants in the Central Asian state. According to the new agreement signed with Japan, the two countries will work together to build and launch nuclear plants and train personnel. Japan also signed an agreement to enter a joint project to develop the Kokten-Kol deposit for tungsten and molybdenum. 1

    Reports noted that United Kingdom is in negotiations with the Tajik government to allow passage of UK troops as the country pulls out of its Afghan engagement. 2

    U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Robert Blake has said that the US will not use Tajikistan’s territory for Afghan troop withdrawal. 3

    The chief of the Collective Security Organization Treaty (CSTO) has described the Afghan situation as being ‘extremely negative’ and the situation will be ‘aggravated’ once Western troops complete their withdrawal in 2014. 4

    According to reports, Uzbekistan’s energy supplies have increased by 81 per cent in 2012. The share of energy-related exports as part of Uzbekistan’s overall exports also grew, the agency noted. While in 2011 energy and petroleum products accounted to 19.8 percent of total exports, that percentage grew to 35.3 percent in 2012. 5

    In other developments, according to reports, Petroleum imports to Tajikistan dropped by 20 percent in the month of January. The drop in petroleum imports is largely due to the delay in passing the necessary domestic accords to accompany an earlier agreement between Dushanbe and Moscow on fuel deliveries. 6

    Russian energy giant Lukoil has announced plans to modernize the Uzbekistan’s Dengizkul field. It had earlier said in December 2012 that it intends to increase gas production in Uzbekistan four-fold by 2018, raising total output to 18 billion cubic meters (bcm). The firm expects to invest $678 million in the country in 2013. 7

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