Nuclear Safety Brings America Into Russia's Uzbek Energy Project
Uzbekistan has signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States on nuclear safety, covering licensing, inspections, regulatory standards, emergency preparedness and specialist training. The agreement, reached on the sidelines of the IAEA general conference in Vienna, accompanies ongoing talks with Russia about construction of Uzbekistan’s first nuclear cluster, which is still planned to include two large reactors and two small modular reactors.
Why It Matters
The U.S.-Uzbek safety pact signals Tashkent’s move to diversify technical partners and bring additional oversight to a high-profile nuclear project amid doubts about Rosatom’s ability to deliver. Strengthened regulatory and emergency-preparedness links could shape how Uzbekistan manages construction and operation of its first nuclear power plants.
Key Facts
- Date of source: September 22, 2026
- Event: Memorandum of understanding signed between the United States and Uzbekistan
- Venue: On the sidelines of the IAEA general conference in Vienna
- Scope of MoU: Monitoring, safe operations, licensing, inspections, regulations, emergency preparedness, technical assistance, regulatory guidelines, and training programs
- Uzbekistan nuclear project: Planned to include two large reactors and two small modular reactors
Uzbekistan and the United States signed a memorandum of understanding on nuclear safety during meetings held alongside the International Atomic Energy Agency’s general conference in Vienna. The agreement covers a broad range of safety-related topics, including licensing, inspections, regulatory standards, emergency preparedness and specialist training, and it provides for U.S. technical assistance to help improve regulatory guidelines and training programs. The Uzbek Committee on Industrial, Radiation and Nuclear Safety described the memorandum as a means to expand exchanges of information and experience between the two countries’ regulatory authorities and to enhance safety in the peaceful use of nuclear energy. Uzbek officials framed the step as bringing additional foreign expertise into the country’s first nuclear power project while stopping short of saying Moscow or Rosatom were being replaced. Alongside the U.S. meeting, Uzbek nuclear officials also held talks with Russian counterparts at the IAEA session, but those discussions did not produce any formal agreements or memoranda. Uzbek statements said the bilateral dialogue with Russia continues and supports the development of inspection methodologies and enforcement of safety requirements across design, construction and operation stages. The new U.S.-Uzbek safety pact arrives amid signs of strain in the Russia-led construction plan for Uzbekistan’s first nuclear cluster. The project is still intended to comprise two large reactors and two small modular reactors, but construction has been delayed and observers have questioned Rosatom’s financial capacity to meet its commitments. In early September, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced creation of an international consortium to oversee construction with the stated aims of improving project management and strengthening technical oversight.