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| Kazakhstan in nuclear bank offer | Kazakhstan in nuclear bank offer |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbeyev has offered to build a nuclear fuel bank on its territory. | Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbeyev has offered to build a nuclear fuel bank on its territory. |
| He made the announcement in a joint press conference with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is visiting Kazakhstan. | He made the announcement in a joint press conference with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is visiting Kazakhstan. |
| The idea was first proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2005, and is supported by both the United States and Russia. | The idea was first proposed by the International Atomic Energy Agency in 2005, and is supported by both the United States and Russia. |
| The US allocated $50m (£33.5m) to the project in 2007. | |
| "Regarding the creation of a nuclear fuel bank for nuclear energy, Kazakhstan could consider the possibility of hosting it on its territory, as a country which signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and voluntarily refused to have nuclear weapons," said Mr Zazarbayev. | "Regarding the creation of a nuclear fuel bank for nuclear energy, Kazakhstan could consider the possibility of hosting it on its territory, as a country which signed the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and voluntarily refused to have nuclear weapons," said Mr Zazarbayev. |
| Soviet tests | Soviet tests |
| Under the scheme, a storage facility would enable countries to buy nuclear fuel, reducing the need for individual nations to develop their own enrichment programmes. | Under the scheme, a storage facility would enable countries to buy nuclear fuel, reducing the need for individual nations to develop their own enrichment programmes. |
| The fuel bank would produce enriched uranium, which is a necessary ingredient in nuclear power reactors, keeping stocks of it for sale. | The fuel bank would produce enriched uranium, which is a necessary ingredient in nuclear power reactors, keeping stocks of it for sale. |
| Countries that are building nuclear reactors would not have to make their own uranium fuel - they could simply buy it from the bank. | Countries that are building nuclear reactors would not have to make their own uranium fuel - they could simply buy it from the bank. |
| It would be supervised IAEA, which inspects reactors. | It would be supervised IAEA, which inspects reactors. |
| Kazakhstan has about 20% of the world's uranium ore. | Kazakhstan has about 20% of the world's uranium ore. |
| The country was in the past used by the Soviets to test atomic bombs. | The country was in the past used by the Soviets to test atomic bombs. |
| Under Mr Nazarbayev's rule it voluntarily gave up its nuclear weapons inherited from the Soviet Union, says the BBC's Rayhan Demytrie in Almaty. | Under Mr Nazarbayev's rule it voluntarily gave up its nuclear weapons inherited from the Soviet Union, says the BBC's Rayhan Demytrie in Almaty. |
| Mr Ahmadinejad said after the press conference that he supported the idea, but did not say whether his country would consider using such a bank. | Mr Ahmadinejad said after the press conference that he supported the idea, but did not say whether his country would consider using such a bank. |
| Iran has steadfastly denied US allegations that it is enriching uranium to make nuclear fuel for use in nuclear weapons. | Iran has steadfastly denied US allegations that it is enriching uranium to make nuclear fuel for use in nuclear weapons. |