Former Kazakh minister to run uranium company

Published: 21 May 2009 01:47:20 PST

ASTANA, May 21 - An influential former Kazakh industry minister has been appointed to run state nuclear company Kazatomprom, one of the world's biggest uranium producers, the government said on Thursday.

Vladimir Shkolnik, 60, also a former presidential advisor, has also been deputy prime minister and energy minister.

"We will recommend Vladimir Sergeyevich (Shkolnik) as the head of Kazatomprom," Prime Minister Karim Masimov told a meeting at the ministry. The appointment has to be confirmed by President Nursultan Nazarbayev.

Aset Isekeshev, a 37-year-old Nazarbayev aide, will take over Shkolnik's job of Industry and Trade Minister, Masimov said. It was unclear if Kazatomprom's veteran boss Mukhtar Dzhakishev will get a new job in the public sector.

Kazakhstan is home to a fifth of global uranium reserves and wants to surpass Australia and China to become the world's top producer this year.

Kazatomprom produced 8.521 tonnes of uranium in 2008 and plans to increase output to 12,000 tonnes this year.