Uranium deal signed during official French visit

French nuclear business group AREVA signed a deal with Mongolian state owned Mon-Atom LLC to develop two uranium deposits in Mongolia, during the two day visit by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius to Mongolia on October 25th and 26th.

Mongolian NGOs and movements against uranium exploration and nuclear had speculated that the visit aimed to sign nuclear deals between the governments of Mongolia and France. Foreign media has confirmed these speculations to be true.

Japanese “Japantimes.co.jp” quoted Foreign Minister of Mongolia L.Bold, saying that the deal represents an important step for the resource-rich but still impoverished nation, in Sunday`s edition.

Orchestrating the nuclear deals is AREVA, the French nuclear group that is responsible for the uranium exploration that possibly caused the mysterious death and deformities of a number of young livestock in Ulaanbadrakh sum in Dornogovi province.
Local residents, herders and environmental activists still protest the companies operation in the province.

Although the expert analysis reveals that the numerous deformed calves and deaths of livestock in the area are not from the nuclear exploration, local residents and herders do not believe the reports.

According to the agreement signed by AREVA and Mon-Atom, a joint company 66 percent owned by AREVA and 34 percent owned by Mon-Atom will be created. And Japan”s Mitsubishi Corporation will take an equity interest at the company.

According to the agreement, the joint company with AREVA´s dominance has aims to run exploration in the Mongolian Gobi Desert. More details of the agreement have not been released. AREVA is expecting an estimated 60,000 tU in Reasonably Assured Resources at the two targeted uranium deposits in the Gobi Desert over 15 years.

“We are not against cooperation with France… We support cooperation in between our countries in all areas. But we just say “no uranium exploration in Mongolia”, as not having it is the best way to prevent radioactive pollution and contamination,” said S.Lkhagvajav, one of the protest leaders to AFP.