The Iranian president is set to meet with his Kazakh counterpart tomorrow to discuss fishing rights in the Caspian Sea and regional security. In what I gather to be a closely related event, in recent weeks, the Kazakhs have offered to host, according to the Wall Street Journal, “the international “nuclear fuel bank” where nations that renounce nuclear weapons can purchase fissile fuel for nuclear energy reactors, a senior White House official said Sunday.” President Obama is seriously considering the offer.
If a nuclear fuel bank exists, states do not have to develop nuclear enrichment capacities to utilize nuclear energy. Kazakhstan is one of the few countries to have real legitamacy in this sphere, as they voluntarily gave up their nuclear arsenal after the break-up of the Soviet Union. While it is not quite a neutral country, and shares a huge border with Russia, President Obama could use this as a bargaining chip for Russia to cooperate with his arms control agenda.
Iran and Kazakhstan have extensive ties and are planning to build a railroad connecting their countries. I’m curious how the proceedings will go tomorrow. On another note, I watched Beloe Solntse Pystini (White Sun of the Desert) again yesterday and was reminded how much I like it. I recommend it to anyone who has not seen it. Remember, Vostok- delo tonkoe.
