Will Kazakstan Join Iran's Nuclear Consortium?
Will Kazakstan Join Iran's Nuclear Consortium?
Kazakstan will have to rethink its foreign policy if it agrees to join Iran’s nuclear consortium - and NBCentralAsia analysts suggest it’s not worth the risk.
The Iranian ambassador to Kazakstan, Romin Mehmonparast, announced on February 7 in Almaty that Iran plans to bring several countries into its nuclear consortium in an effort to convince the international community that its uranium enrichment programme is peaceful.
Despite the fact that the UN International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, has not found any evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, last week the agency strongly criticised Tehran for concealing information on its nuclear programme and cut its technical assistance by half.
These sanctions were introduced by the UN Security Council in December last year when Iran refused to stop its uranium enrichment programme.
Kazakstan-based analysts say that announcing their consortium plans in Kazakstan is symbolic given that it has the second-largest uranium reserves in the world. Most likely, this means that Kazakstan will soon have to make a difficult political decision.
NBCentralAsia analyst Eduard Poletaev said, “Iran’s announcement challenges Kazakstan’s multiple foreign allegiances.”
“It can’t be everyone’s friend at a time when the world is becoming more divided every year.”
Poletaev says that Kazakstan’s decision will largely depend on Russia and China’s positions. But even if these countries agree to join Iran’s consortium, Kazakstan must consider the economic and political risks carefully given the large amount of American investment in its energy sector. The US has been leading the drive to rid Iran of a possible nuclear weapons programme.
Poletaev believes it would be more profitable and less politically risky for Kazakstan to cooperate with Japan, which is actively looking to import nuclear material, rather than Iran.
“Iran is not the bastion for the development of Kazakstan’s nuclear industry. It is neither an optimal nor an ideal customer,” said Poletaev.
Japan’s prime minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Kazakstan in August 2006 and the two countries have already reached a number of agreements on uranium supplies.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
The Iranian ambassador to Kazakstan, Romin Mehmonparast, announced on February 7 in Almaty that Iran plans to bring several countries into its nuclear consortium in an effort to convince the international community that its uranium enrichment programme is peaceful.
Despite the fact that the UN International Atomic Energy Agency, IAEA, has not found any evidence that Iran is developing nuclear weapons, last week the agency strongly criticised Tehran for concealing information on its nuclear programme and cut its technical assistance by half.
These sanctions were introduced by the UN Security Council in December last year when Iran refused to stop its uranium enrichment programme.
Kazakstan-based analysts say that announcing their consortium plans in Kazakstan is symbolic given that it has the second-largest uranium reserves in the world. Most likely, this means that Kazakstan will soon have to make a difficult political decision.
NBCentralAsia analyst Eduard Poletaev said, “Iran’s announcement challenges Kazakstan’s multiple foreign allegiances.”
“It can’t be everyone’s friend at a time when the world is becoming more divided every year.”
Poletaev says that Kazakstan’s decision will largely depend on Russia and China’s positions. But even if these countries agree to join Iran’s consortium, Kazakstan must consider the economic and political risks carefully given the large amount of American investment in its energy sector. The US has been leading the drive to rid Iran of a possible nuclear weapons programme.
Poletaev believes it would be more profitable and less politically risky for Kazakstan to cooperate with Japan, which is actively looking to import nuclear material, rather than Iran.
“Iran is not the bastion for the development of Kazakstan’s nuclear industry. It is neither an optimal nor an ideal customer,” said Poletaev.
Japan’s prime minister Junichiro Koizumi visited Kazakstan in August 2006 and the two countries have already reached a number of agreements on uranium supplies.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
