The UN will assist Uzbekistan in its efforts to combat nuclear smuggling.

The Customs Committee of Uzbekistan reported that the UN has launched a program aimed at preventing the illegal trafficking of radioactive and nuclear materials in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan.

To enhance international cooperation in the fight against the smuggling of radioactive materials, a two-year UN program titled "CONTACT – Central Asia: Enhancing Capacity to Prevent the Illegal Trafficking of Radiological and Nuclear Materials" has commenced.

The program will last for two years and is funded by the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority (DSA). The Committee on Industrial, Radiation, and Nuclear Safety has been designated as the program coordinator in Uzbekistan.

The first meeting to discuss the project took place on December 2-3 in Turin. During the event, the national program coordinator in Uzbekistan, Otabek Kasimov, shared that an automated radiation monitoring system is being established in the republic.