DUSHANBE, December 12, 2014, Asia-Plus — Under the European Union (EU) Instrument contributing to Stability and Peace (IcSP) a multi annual project is funded to support Tajikistan to enhance its border monitoring capabilities in nuclear security.
The Delegation of the European Union to Tajikistan says six borders (road and railway borders) were selected as priorities by the Tajik authorities to be equipped with radiation portal monitors able to detect any illicit trafficking and inadvertent movement of nuclear and radioactive (RN) materials.
The project also includes supply of a mobile laboratory fully equipped with sensitive instruments for measurement and analysis of RN materials to be deployed regionally and serves as expert laboratory to support investigations following detection events. The necessary trainings for operation and maintenance of the equipment are also part of the project. Some of those trainings have already been provided to a Tajik delegation (20 high level officials) by the European Commission (EC), Joint Research Center in December 2013 at the EU Nuclear Security Training Center in Ispra (Italy).
The Tajik beneficiary of the project is the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Agency (NRSA) which is the national nuclear regulatory body of Tajikistan and the end-users are the Tajik Customs and the Border Guard Services. The EU collaboration with Tajikistan, which has started four year ago, is undertaken in close collaboration with other international organizations and partners such as the IAEA and the US Department of Energy (DoE)/Department of State (DoS) in order to avoid duplication and provide integrated support to the Tajik authorities.
The supply contract (1.5 Million Euros) of the project was signed on December 1 by the EC and the selected equipment supplying company following an open public tender. The kick off meeting of the project took place in Dushanbe on December 2. The event was opened by Tajik MFA (represented by the Nuclear and Radiation Safety Agency) and the EU Delegation to of Tajikistan; it was attended by Customs, EC (represented by the Joint Research Centre), Polimaster and US DoS. During the event, a detailed planning for the full execution of the project was discussed and agreed between the different parties. The installation and commissioning of the equipment including the trainings will be accomplished within one year.
