In accordance with the Course of the President of the Kyrgyz Republic for renewal of the country and the Country Development Strategy till 2011, our country is pursuing an active and step-by-step policy aimed at ensuring sustainable development, economic growth and further strengthening the principles of democratic governance. Our main national priorities are closely connected with the UN Millennium Development Goals.

Among the key work areas is environmental protection as a fundamental basis for sustainable human development, providing the balance of human rights, society, nature, preservation of unique natural complexes for our future generations.

In this context, we are seriously concerned about the problem of numerous tailings, left in the territory of Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries as a legacy of the industrial-military complex of the former USSR. The state of these tailings, which contain large amounts of highly toxic wastes of uranium, rare non-ferrous metal and other extremely hazardous technological wastes, over the tens of years that have passed since the shutdown of these facilities, has significantly worsened stipulating thus the increase of threats for the people and environment of Central Asian region.
 

Kyrgyzstan is carrying out the urgent activities related with prevention of the risks of scaled environmental catastrophes on a constant basis. These works are carried out both at our own resources and with support of international organizations and donors. In this regard, I would like to extend my appreciation to the UN, IAEA, World Bank, OSCE and other organizations, which provide their practical help in tackling of this problem at individual sites or through conducting studies and development of concrete recommendations.

 

Unfortunately, uranium tailings extend not only beyond the national but also the regional boundaries. Potential emergency situations can have global character and affect all countries of the region and millions of people. The clean-up works can demand enormous financial and other costs that can pose huge damage to all development processes. 

In this respect, I would like to draw your attention to such an important aspect of the problem as providing water resources for the whole region. In case of arising of ecological problems the water problem will become more acute and difficult to overcome.  

The Kyrgyz Republic sets as its high priority the implementation of preventive measures on the tailings problem using a wide spectrum of available opportunities including those ones under the UN environmental conventions. 

In 2008 I raised an initiative on a more coordinated work at the international level and requested the United Nations Development Programme for support in consolidation of international efforts in this area, as well as in organization of the high-level International Forum on Uranium Tailings, which is expected to discuss the priority areas of work and concrete projects on national and transboundary levels, as well as attract the resources for their implementation.  

I would like to express my gratitude to the United Nations Development Programme for the support of this initiative and broad consultations with donor communities, huge work on preparation of documents and project proposals, as well as for organization of this regional conference, as an important stage in preparation of the International Forum to be held in June 2009,  Geneva.   

I would also like to welcome the interest expressed by the IAEA, EurAsEC, European Union, Russian Federation, other countries and international in joint solution of this regional problem.  

Participation in this regional conference of delegations from Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, representatives of many other countries and international organizations, donor community, leading experts shows common understanding of the urgency of the problem and the intentions to address it by joint efforts. 

I wish all participants of the regional conference successful and productive work and development of concrete practical recommendations and projects, which will allow us to protect the population and unique nature of Central Asia from potential ecological catastrophes and create enabling environment for sustainable development.