DUSHANBE, July 8, 2014, Asia-Plus -- In a report released at a news conference in Dushanbe, Murod Jumazoda, Chairman of the Main Geology Directorate under the Government of Tajikistan, noted on July 8 that Tajikistan is interested in exploration of its uranium and other rare-earth metal deposits.

According to him, the Tajik government pays a special attention to this subject and the national program for the study of rare-earth elements designed for 2015-2025 will be adopted soon.

“We are interested in cooperation with Areva Mines, which is France’s largest uranium mining producers,” Jumazoda said.

He noted that there were no uranium deposits in Tajikistan but there were uranium manifestations here that could become deposits after exploration operations and determination of their reserves.

We will recall that Areva Mines showed interested in cooperation with the Tajik Main Geology Directorate in summer 2013.  The sides were expected to sign a cooperation memorandum, but negotiations yielded no progress.

Areva Mines is one of subsidiaries of Areva SA, which is a French public multinational industrial conglomerate headquartered in the Tour Areva in Courbevoie, Paris. Areva SA is mainly known for nuclear power, although it also pursues interests in other energy projects.  Its nuclear technology subsidiary, Areva NP, was created by absorbing the nuclear business line of German company Siemens; it has developed the EPR, an advanced 3rd generation pressurized water nuclear reactor.