Preparations for the construction of tcohe first commercial nuclear power plant in Central Asia are “in full swing” and the schedule has not been affected by the global coronavirus pandemic, Uzbekistan’s state nuclear agency Uzatom said.

Uzatom was reported in local media as saying engineering and geological work is continuing at “a priority site” in an area near Lake Tuzkan in Jizzakh province, west of the capital Tashkent in the east of the country.

“Also, contract negotiations are continuing with [Russian state nuclear corporation] Rosatom to agree on the terms of the main contract for the construction of a nuclear power plant,” Uzatom said.