The meeting of the Senate Committee on International Relations, External Economic Relations, Foreign Investments, and Tourism Issues preliminarily discussed the Law "On the Accession of the Republic of Uzbekistan to the Vienna Convention on Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (Vienna, May 21, 1963)".
According to the information from the upper house of the Parliament, the meeting was chaired by the committee leader, Alisher Agzamhodjaev, the former Ambassador of Uzbekistan to Turkey. The discussions involved senators, deputies of local councils’ permanent committees, representatives of the Atomic Energy Agency, specialists and experts from the Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Nuclear Physics and the Nuclear Power Plant Construction Directorate, as well as media personnel.
As emphasized, Uzbekistan's accession to this Convention will entail the application of fundamental norms that establish the regime of liability for damage caused by incidents at civil nuclear facilities, the procedure for compensation, deadlines, and principles. Additionally, the nuclear liability regime ensures compensation to the people of Uzbekistan in the event of a nuclear accident.
The main purpose of this document is to define the liability of the operator of nuclear facilities for nuclear damage arising from incidents at these facilities, as well as to set minimum requirements for financial protection against nuclear damage.
Senators emphasized that Uzbekistan’s accession to the Vienna Convention would facilitate entering the international legal arena in the field of nuclear energy and safety. It also foresees guaranteeing nuclear safety, adequately protecting the rights of victims of nuclear damage, and introducing insurance systems and compensation mechanisms in the field of nuclear energy.
Furthermore, Uzbekistan’s accession to the Vienna Convention will expand cooperation relations with the International Atomic Energy Agency and accelerate the implementation of prospective projects within its programs.
At the end of the meeting, an appropriate decision by the Committee was adopted.
