Kazakhstan and US mull opening nuclear security training center

Kazakhstan Oil and Gas Minister Sauat Mynbayev discussed opening a training center for physical nuclear security with U.S. Deputy Secretary of Energy Daniel Poneman during his visit to the United States, Tengrinews.kz reports citing Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry. “The parties discussed the current situation and promising directions of cooperation in areas like nuclear industry and non-proliferation, hydrocarbons energy, power energy, renewable energy sources and power saving. In particular, they discussed opening a Training Center for Physical Nuclear Security, implementation of technologies of compressed natural gas transportation in Kazakhstan, methods of cleaner coal burning, shale gas and coalbed methane production in Kazakhstan, increasing energy efficiency of industries and development of a map of geothermal energy sources in Kazakhstan, improvement of regional power energy trade mechanisms, development of competition and improvement of reliability of energy transfer systems,” Kazakhstan Foreign Ministry’s press-service writes. Besides, the officials signed a plan of joint actions in energy partnership between Kazakhstan and the United States in 2012-2013 and a joint statement. Mynbayev also had discussions with U.S. Secretary of Energy Dr. Steven Chu and Under Secretary of State for Economic Growth, Energy and the Environment Robert Hormats on a wide range of issues of the international agenda in energy.