Azernews.Az

By Aynur Jafarova

India plans to buy 2,000 tons of uranium from Uzbekistan by 2014, Indian media reported.

This was discussed during Indian Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid's visit to Tashkent on September 12-15. Talks between the Indian and Uzbek governments are about to be completed.

Indian media said the Uzbek government could not be reached for comment.

Uzbekistan is among the world's 10 largest producers of uranium, which the Central Asian nation exports.

There are two types of deposits in Uzbekistan: sandstone and black shale. The sandstone deposits are being developed by Navoi Mining and Metallurgical Company.

According to estimates of the Uzbek State Committee for Geology and Mineral Resources, prospective reserves of uranium amount to 185,800 tons, some 138,800 tons of which are of sandstone type. The remaining 47,000 tons are of black shale type.

In the past five years Uzbekistan has been trying to attract foreign investment in the exploration and development of black shale uranium fields.

In February 2011, the Japanese Itochu Corporation and Navoi signed a 10-year contract on the purchase of uranium for Japan's communal services.