A.Undraa,
recently appointed Special Deputy Ambassador for Nuclear Energy in the Ministry
of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT), answers questions on her new position and
what she hopes to achieve.

Why was this special
position created?
Nuclear
energy is going to be a crucial part of our foreign policy and will be
important for our relations with our two neighbors, as also with third
neighbors such as Canada.

What experience do
you have of this sector?
My
field of research at Stanford University in the USA where I was a visiting
professor was related to uranium and nuclear energy. I also worked on
international nuclear energy policies. So I had a fair idea of what my work is
going to be when I took up the position in July.

Does the Government
of Mongolia have a clear nuclear energy policy?
We
have had a law on exploitation of nuclear energy and radioactive material for
two years. We also have regulations governing activity in this field and also
cooperation with foreign countries in this strategic sector.

What is the future of
nuclear energy in Mongolia?

Environmental concerns have drawn the interest of many countries to generating
nuclear energy. Coal-burning power stations are no longer favored and the
future lies in nuclear, solar and wind-based energy. Of these, nuclear energy
is the best choice for Mongolia in terms of cost effectiveness and stable
generation and distribution.

With our large uranium reserve, Mongolia could be exporting energy. However,
developing the field will require highly educated professionals.

Is there a structure
in place to implement our nuclear energy policy?

It is being developed as we proceed. The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA) is at the
head. There is also the State-owned Mon Atom. Regulations to cover operations
in several areas, like ensuring safety from radioactivity, criteria for issuing
licenses, and trade in nuclear energy will be formulated as we gain experience
with the work.  Regulatory and
promotional activities are now centralized at the NEA but to be more effective
they might have to be kept separate.

How much uranium have
we got?
The
confirmed reserve at present is 65,000 tons but it is likely to go up to
1.4million tons. This will make us the third largest source of uranium in the
world. But more exploration is needed.

Which countries can
be our best partners?

Many
have shown interest in cooperation and we already have companies such as Areva
from France, and Dennison Mines and Khan Resource from Canada working here. We
have a cooperation agreement with Mitsubishi from Japan. 

The recent North
Asian Economic in Ulaanbaatar noted that Mongolia would be supplying energy to
the region from its nuclear plants. How much is the economic benefit in this?
No
detailed accounting has yet been done. This is a very complicated exercise.